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| name                = [[name::Fiore Furlano de’i Liberi]]
 
| name                = [[name::Fiore Furlano de’i Liberi]]
 
| image                = File:Fiore delli Liberi.jpg
 
| image                = File:Fiore delli Liberi.jpg
| imagesize            = 250px
+
| imagesize            = 300px
| caption              = This master with a forked beard appears sporadically throughout both the Getty and Pisani Dossi mss., and may be a representation of Fiore himself.
+
| caption              = This man appears sporadically throughout both the Getty and Pisani Dossi MSS, and may be a representation of Fiore himself.
  
 
| pseudonym            =  
 
| pseudonym            =  
 
| birthname            =  
 
| birthname            =  
| birthdate            = 1340s
+
| birthdate            =  
| birthplace          = Cividale del Friuli, Friuli
+
| birthplace          = Cividale del Friuli
| deathdate            = after 1420
+
| deathdate            =  
| deathplace          = France (?)
+
| deathplace          =  
 
| resting_place        =  
 
| resting_place        =  
| occupation          = {{plainlist | [[occupation::Diplomat]] | [[Fencing master]]{{#set: occupation=Fencing master }} | [[occupation::Mercenary]] }}
+
| occupation          = {{plainlist
| language            = {{plainlist | [[language::Middle Italian]] | [[language::Renaissance Latin]] }}
+
| [[Fencing master]]{{#set: occupation=Fencing master }}
 +
| [[occupation::Mercenary]]
 +
}}
 +
| language            = {{plainlist
 +
| [[language::Middle Italian]]
 +
| [[language::Renaissance Latin]]
 +
}}
 
| nationality          = Friulian
 
| nationality          = Friulian
 
| ethnicity            =  
 
| ethnicity            =  
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| education            =  
 
| education            =  
 
| alma_mater          =  
 
| alma_mater          =  
| patron              = {{plainlist | Gian Galeazzo Visconti (?) | Niccolò III d’Este (?) }}
+
| patron              = {{plainlist
 +
| Gian Galeazzo Visconti (?)
 +
| Niccolò d’Este (?)
 +
}}
  
 
| period              =  
 
| period              =  
| genre                = {{plainlist | [[Fencing manual]] | [[Wrestling manual]] }}
+
| genre                = {{plainlist
 +
| [[Fencing manual]]
 +
| [[Wrestling manual]]
 +
}}
 
| subject              =  
 
| subject              =  
 
| movement            =  
 
| movement            =  
 
| notableworks        = ''The Flower of Battle''
 
| notableworks        = ''The Flower of Battle''
| manuscript(s)        = {{Collapsible list
+
| manuscript(s)        = {{collapsible list
  | title = List of manuscripts
+
  | [[Tratt‍ato della sch‍erma (MS M.383)|MS M.383]] (1400s)
| 1    = Codex LXXXIV (before 1436)
+
  | [[Fior di Battaglia (MS Ludwig XV 13)|MS Ludwig ⅩⅤ 13]] (1400s)
| 2    = Codex CX (before 1436)
+
  | [[Flos Duellatorum (Pisani Dossi MS)|Pisani Dossi MS]] (1409)
| 3    = [[Fior di Battaglia (MS M.383)|MS M.383]] (1400s)
+
  | [[Florius de Arte Luctandi (MS Latin 11269)|MS Latin 11269]] (1410s?)
  | 4    = [[Fior di Battaglia (MS Ludwig XV 13)|MS Ludwig.XV.13]] (1400s)
+
  | [[Fior di Battaglia (MS XXIV)|MS XXIV]] (1699)
  | 5    = [[Flos Duellatorum (Pisani Dossi MS)|Pisani Dossi MS]] (1409)
 
  | 4    = [[Florius de Arte Luctandi (MS Latin 11269)|MS Latin.11269]] (1410s?)
 
  | 7    = [[Fior di Battaglia (MS XXIV)|MS XXIV]] (1699)
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
| principal manuscript(s)=
 
| principal manuscript(s)=
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| partner              =  
 
| partner              =  
 
| children            =  
 
| children            =  
| relatives            = Benedetto de’i Liberi
+
| relatives            = Benedetto de’i Liberi (father)
| influences          = {{plainlist | [[Johannes Suvenus|Johane Suveno]] | [[Nicholai de Toblem]] }}
+
| influences          = {{plainlist
 +
| [[Johannes Suvenus|Johane Suveno]]
 +
| [[Nicholai de Toblem]]
 +
}}
 
| influenced          = [[Philippo di Vadi]]
 
| influenced          = [[Philippo di Vadi]]
 
| awards              =  
 
| awards              =  
 
| signature            =  
 
| signature            =  
 
| website              =  
 
| website              =  
| translations        = {{plainlist | {{French translation|{{fullurl:{{PAGENAMEE}}/French}}|1}} | {{Hungarian translation|http://www.middleages.hu/magyar/harcmuveszet/vivokonyvek/liberi.php|1}} | {{Spanish translation|http://www.salafenix.eu/docs/biblio/tratados/Fiore_Dei_Liberi.Flos_Duellatorum.1410.es.pdf|1}} }}
+
| translations        = {{collapsible list
 +
| {{English translation|http://www.fioredeiliberi.org/morgan/}}
 +
| {{English translation|https://wiktenauer.com/wiki/File:Getty_MS_Ludwig_XV_13_Scans_with_English_Translation.pdf}}
 +
| {{English translation|http://www.fioredeiliberi.org/getty/}}
 +
| {{English translation|https://www.aemma.org/onlineResources/liberi/wildRose/fiore.html}}
 +
| {{English translation|http://www.the-exiles.org.uk/fioreproject/}}
 +
| {{French translation|{{fullurl:{{PAGENAMEE}}/French}}|1}}
 +
| {{Hungarian translation|http://www.middleages.hu/magyar/harcmuveszet/vivokonyvek/liberi.php|1}}
 +
| {{Spanish translation|http://www.salafenix.eu/docs/biblio/tratados/Fiore_Dei_Liberi.Flos_Duellatorum.1410.es.pdf|1}}
 +
}}
 
| below                =  
 
| below                =  
 
}}
 
}}
'''Fiore Furlano de’i Liberi de Cividale d’Austria''' (Fiore delli Liberi, Fiore Furlano, Fiore de Cividale d’Austria; ca. 1340s - 1420s<ref>This estimated birth date is derived from Fiore's statement that in 1409 he had been studying the art of arms for 50 years, based on the fact that nobility generally began instruction in the martial arts around the age of ten. See Mondschein, p 11. The death date listed assumes that the story about his activities in Paris is correct; see note 27, below.</ref>) was a late [[century::14th century]] knight, diplomat, and itinerant [[fencing master]]. He was born in Cividale del Friuli, a town in the Patriarchal State of Aquileia (in the Friuli region of modern-day Italy), the son of Benedetto and scion of a Liberi house of Premariacco.<ref name="de’i Liberi Morgan">[[Fiore de'i Liberi]]. ''Fior di Battaglia'' [manuscript]. [[Fior di Battaglia (MS M.383)|MS M.383]]. New York City: [[Morgan Library & Museum]], ca. 1400. ff 1r-2r.</ref><ref name="de’i Liberi Getty">[[Fiore de'i Liberi]]. ''Fior di Battaglia'' [manuscript]. [[Fior di Battaglia (MS Ludwig XV 13)|MS Ludwig XV 13]] (ACNO 83.MR.183). Los Angeles: [[J. Paul Getty Museum]], ca. 1400. ff 1r-2r.</ref><ref name="de’i Liberi Pisani Dossi">[[Fiore de'i Liberi]]. ''Flos Duellatorum'' [manuscript]. [[Flos Duellatorum (Pisani Dossi MS)|Pisani Dossi MS]]. Italy: Private Collection, 1409. f 1rv.</ref> The term ''Liberi'', while potentially merely a surname, more probably indicates that his family had Imperial immediacy (''Reichsfreiheit''), either as part of the ''nobili liberi'' (''Edelfrei'', "free nobles"), the Germanic unindentured knightly class which formed the lower tier of nobility in the Middle Ages, or possibly of the rising class of Imperial Free Knights.<ref>He is never given such a surname in any contemporary records of his life, and the term only appears when introducing his family in his own treatises.</ref><ref name="Mondschein 11">Mondschein, p 11.</ref><ref>Howe, Russ. “[http://ejmas.com/jwma/articles/2008/jwmaart_howe_0808.htm Fiore dei Liberi: Origins and Motivations]”. [[Journal of Western Martial Art]]. Electronic Journals of Martial Arts and Sciences, 2008. Retrieved 2012-02-08.</ref> It has been suggested by various historians that Fiore and Benedetto were descended from Cristallo dei Liberi of Premariacco, who was granted immediacy in 1110 by Holy Roman Emperor Heinrich V,<ref>Giusto Fontanini. {{Google books|929Oruf2qScC|Della Eloquenza italiana di monsignor Giusto Fontanini|page=274}}, vol. 3 (in Italian). R. Bernabò, 1736. pp 274-276.</ref><ref>Gian Guiseppe Liruti. {{Google books|swCiIpD6UeIC|Notizie delle vite ed opere scritte da' letterati del Friuli|page=27}}, vol. 4 (in Italian). Alvisopoli, 1830. p 27.</ref><ref>Novati, pp 15-16.</ref> but this has yet to be proven.<ref>Malipiero, p 80.</ref>
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'''Fiore Furlano de’i Liberi de Cividale d’Austria''' (Fiore delli Liberi, Fiore Furlano, Fiore de Cividale d’Austria; fl. 1381 - 1409) was a late [[century::14th century]] knight, diplomat, and [[fencing master]]. He was born in Cividale del Friuli, a town in the Patriarchal State of Aquileia (in the Friuli region of modern-day Italy), the son of Benedetto and scion of a Liberi house of Premariacco.<ref name="de’i Liberi Morgan">[[Fiore de'i Liberi]]. ''Fior di Battaglia'' [manuscript]. [[Tratt‍ato della sch‍erma (MS M.383)|MS M.383]]. New York City: [[Morgan Library & Museum]], ca. 1400. ff 1r-2r.</ref><ref name="de’i Liberi Getty">[[Fiore de'i Liberi]]. ''Fior di Battaglia'' [manuscript]. [[Fior di Battaglia (MS Ludwig XV 13)|MS Ludwig ⅩⅤ 13]] (ACNO 83.MR.183). Los Angeles: [[J. Paul Getty Museum]], ca. 1400. ff 1r-2r.</ref><ref name="de’i Liberi Pisani Dossi">[[Fiore de'i Liberi]]. ''Flos Duellatorum'' [manuscript]. [[Flos Duellatorum (Pisani Dossi MS)|Pisani Dossi MS]]. Italy: Private Collection, 1409. f 1rv.</ref> The term ''Liberi'', while potentially merely a surname, more probably indicates that his family had Imperial immediacy (''Reichsunmittelbarkeit''), either as part of the ''nobili liberi'' (''Edelfrei'', "free nobles"), the Germanic unindentured knightly class which formed the lower tier of nobility in the Middle Ages, or possibly of the rising class of Imperial Free Knights.<ref>He is never given such a surname in any contemporary records of his life, and the term only appears when introducing his family in his own treatises.</ref><ref name="Mondschein 11">Mondschein, p 11.</ref><ref>Howe, Russ. “[http://ejmas.com/jwma/articles/2008/jwmaart_howe_0808.htm Fiore dei Liberi: Origins and Motivations]”. [[Journal of Western Martial Art]]. Electronic Journals of Martial Arts and Sciences, 2008. Retrieved 2015-11-23.</ref> It has been suggested by various historians that Fiore and Benedetto were descended from Cristallo dei Liberi of Premariacco, who was granted immediacy in 1110 by Holy Roman Emperor Heinrich V,<ref>Giusto Fontanini. {{Google books|929Oruf2qScC|Della Eloquenza italiana di monsignor Giusto Fontanini|page=274}}, vol. 3 (in Italian). R. Bernabò, 1736. pp 274-276.</ref><ref>Gian Guiseppe Liruti. {{Google books|swCiIpD6UeIC|Notizie delle vite ed opere scritte da' letterati del Friuli|page=27}}, vol. 4 (in Italian). Alvisopoli, 1830. p 27.</ref><ref>Novati, pp 15-16.</ref> but this has yet to be proven.<ref>Malipiero, p 80.</ref>
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 +
Fiore wrote that he had a natural inclination to the martial arts and began training at a young age, ultimately studying with “countless” masters from both Italic and Germanic lands.<ref name="de’i Liberi Morgan"/><ref name="de’i Liberi Getty"/><ref name="de’i Liberi Pisani Dossi"/> He had ample opportunity to interact with both, traveling widely in the Italian states that formed the border of the Holy Roman Empire. Unfortunately, not all of these encounters were friendly: Fiore wrote of meeting many “false” or unworthy masters in his travels, most of whom lacked even the limited skill he'd expect in a good student.<ref name="de’i Liberi Pisani Dossi"/> He further mentions that on five separate occasions he was forced to fight [[duel]]s for his honor against certain of these masters who he described as envious because he refused to teach them his art; the duels were all fought with sharp swords, unarmored except for gambesons and chamois gloves, and he won each without injury.<ref name="de’i Liberi Morgan"/><ref name="de’i Liberi Getty"/><ref>15th century jurist [[Paride del Pozzo]], in discussing Italian dueling customs, dismisses unarmored duels as the ignoble domain of the rash and the hot-headed, contrasted with honorable dueling done in armor with the full range of military weapons. This might provide insight into Fiore's disposition as a young man. See Pozzo book 4, chapter 3, and also Leoni 2012, pp ⅹⅹⅳ-ⅹⅹⅴ.</ref>
  
Fiore wrote that he had a natural inclination to the martial arts and began training at a young age, ultimately studying with “countless” masters from both Italic and Germanic lands.<ref name="de’i Liberi Morgan"/><ref name="de’i Liberi Getty"/><ref name="de’i Liberi Pisani Dossi"/> He had ample opportunity to interact with both, being born in the Holy Roman Empire and later traveling widely in the northern Italian states. Unfortunately, not all of these encounters were friendly: Fiore wrote of meeting many “false” or unworthy masters in his travels, most of whom lacked even the limited skill he'd expect in a good student.<ref name="de’i Liberi Pisani Dossi"/> He further mentions that on five separate occasions he was forced to fight [[duel]]s for his honor against certain of these masters who he described as envious because he refused to teach them his art; the duels were all fought with sharp swords, unarmored except for gambesons and chamois gloves, and he won each without injury.<ref name="de’i Liberi Morgan"/><ref name="de’i Liberi Getty"/>
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Writing very little on his own career as ''condottiero'', Fiore laid out his credentials for his readers in other ways. He stated that foremost among the masters who trained him was one [[Johannes Suvenus|Johane dicto Suueno]], who he notes was a disciple of [[Nicholai de Toblem]];<ref name="de’i Liberi Pisani Dossi"/> unfortunately, both names are given in Latin so there is little we can conclude about them other than that they were probably among the Italians and Germans he alludes to, and that one or both were well known in Fiore's time. He further offered an extensive list of the famous ''condottieri'' that he trained, including Piero Paolo del Verde (Peter von Grünen),<ref>[http://www.condottieridiventura.it/index.php/lettera-v/2660-piero-del-verde “PIERO DEL VERDE (Paolo del Verde) Tedesco. Signore di Colle di Val d’Elsa.”]. ''Note biografiche di Capitani di Guerra e di Condottieri di Ventura operanti in Italia nel 1330 - 1550''. Retrieved 2015-11-23.</ref> Niccolo Unricilino (Nikolo von Urslingen),<ref>Leoni, p 7.</ref> Galeazzo Cattaneo dei Grumelli (Galeazzo Gonzaga da Mantova),<ref name="Galeazzo">[http://www.condottieridiventura.it/index.php/lettera-m/1450-galeazzo-da-mantova “GALEAZZO DA MANTOVA (Galeazzo Cattaneo dei Grumelli, Galeazzo Gonzaga) Di Mantova. Secondo alcune fonti, di Grumello nel pavese.”]. ''Note biografiche di Capitani di Guerra e di Condottieri di Ventura operanti in Italia nel 1330 - 1550''. Retrieved 2015-11-23.</ref> Lancillotto Beccaria di Pavia,<ref>[http://www.condottieridiventura.it/index.php/lettera-b/630-lancillotto-beccaria “LANCILLOTTO BECCARIA  (Lanciarotto Beccaria) Di Pavia. Ghibellino. Signore di Serravalle Scrivia, Casei Gerola, Bassignana, Novi Ligure, Voghera, Broni.”]. ''Note biografiche di Capitani di Guerra e di Condottieri di Ventura operanti in Italia nel 1330 - 1550''. Retrieved 2015-11-23.</ref> Giovannino da Baggio di Milano,<ref name="Malipiero 9496">Malipiero, pp 94-96.</ref> and Azzone di Castelbarco,<ref name="Jens">[https://talhoffer.wordpress.com/2013/04/24/fiore-his-master-and-his-students/ Fiore his masters and his students]. ''Hans Talhoffer ~ as seen by Jens P. Kleinau.'' Retrieved 2015-11-23.</ref> and also highlights some of their martial exploits.<ref name="de’i Liberi Morgan"/><ref name="de’i Liberi Getty"/>
  
Writing very little on his own career as a commander and master at arms, Fiore laid out his credentials for his readers in other ways. He stated that foremost among the masters who trained him was one [[Johannes Suvenus|Johane dicto Suueno]], who he notes was a disciple of [[Nicholai de Toblem]];<ref name="de’i Liberi Pisani Dossi"/> unfortunately, both names are given in Latin so there is little we can conclude about them other than that they were probably among the Italians and Germans he alludes to, and that one or both were well known in Fiore's time. He further offered an extensive list of the famous ''condottieri'' that he trained, including Piero Paolo del Verde (Peter von Grünen),<ref>[http://www.condottieridiventura.it/index.php/lettera-v/2660-piero-del-verde “PIERO DEL VERDE (Paolo del Verde) Tedesco. Signore di Colle di Val d’Elsa.”]. ''Note biografiche di Capitani di Guerra e di Condottieri di Ventura operanti in Italia nel 1330 - 1550''. Retrieved 2012-02-08.</ref> Niccolo Unricilino (Nikolo von Urslingen),<ref>Leoni, p 7.</ref> Galeazzo Cattaneo dei Grumelli (Galeazzo Gonzaga da Mantova),<ref name="Galeazzo">[http://www.condottieridiventura.it/index.php/lettera-m/1450-galeazzo-da-mantova “GALEAZZO DA MANTOVA (Galeazzo Cattaneo dei Grumelli, Galeazzo Gonzaga) Di Mantova. Secondo alcune fonti, di Grumello nel pavese.”]. ''Note biografiche di Capitani di Guerra e di Condottieri di Ventura operanti in Italia nel 1330 - 1550''. Retrieved 2012-02-08.</ref> Lancillotto Beccaria di Pavia,<ref>[http://www.condottieridiventura.it/index.php/lettera-b/630-lancillotto-beccaria “LANCILLOTTO BECCARIA  (Lanciarotto Beccaria) Di Pavia. Ghibellino. Signore di Serravalle Scrivia, Casei Gerola, Bassignana, Novi Ligure, Voghera, Broni.”]. ''Note biografiche di Capitani di Guerra e di Condottieri di Ventura operanti in Italia nel 1330 - 1550''. Retrieved 2012-02-08.</ref> Giovannino da Baggio di Milano,<ref name="Malipiero 9496">Malipiero, pp 94-96.</ref> and Azzone di Castelbarco,<ref name="Jens">[https://talhoffer.wordpress.com/2013/04/24/fiore-his-master-and-his-students/ Fiore his masters and his students]. ''Hans Talhoffer ~ as seen by Jens P. Kleinau.'' Retrieved 2013-05-08.</ref> and also highlights some of their martial exploits.<ref name="de’i Liberi Morgan"/><ref name="de’i Liberi Getty"/>
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The only known historical mentions of Fiore appear in connection with the Aquileian War of Succession, which erupted in 1381 as a coalition of secular nobles from Udine and surrounding cities sought to remove the newly appointed patriarch (prince-bishop of Aquileia), Cardinal Philippe Ⅱ d'Alençon. Fiore seems to have supported the secular nobility against the cardinal; he traveled to Udine in 1383 and was granted residency in the city on 3 August.<ref>Malipiero, p 84.</ref> On 30 September, the high council tasked him with inspection and maintenance of city's weapons, including the [[artillery]] pieces defending Udine (large crossbows and catapults).<ref name="Mondschein 11"/><ref>Malipiero, p 85.</ref><ref name="Easton">[[Matt Easton|Easton, Matt]]. “[http://www.fioredeiliberi.org/fiore/ Fiore dei Liberi - Fiore di Battaglia - Flos Duellatorum]”. London: Schola Gladiatoria, 2009. Retrieved 2015-11-23.</ref> In February of 1384, he was assigned the task of recruiting a mercenary company to augment Udine's forces and leading them back to the city.<ref>Malipiero, p 86.</ref> This task seems to have been accomplished in three months or less, as on 23 May he appeared before the high council again and was sworn in as a sort of magistrate charged with keeping the peace in one of the city's districts. After May 1384, the historical record is silent on Fiore's activities; the war continued until a new Patriarch was appointed in 1389 and a peace settlement was reached, but it's unclear if Fiore remained involved for the duration. Given that he appears in council records four times in 1383-4, it would be quite odd for him to be completely unmentioned over the subsequent five years if he remained,<ref name="Mondschein 11"/><ref>Malipiero, pp 85-88.</ref> and since his absence from records coincides with a proclamation in July of that year demanding that Udine cease hostilities or face harsh repercussions, it seems more likely that he moved on.
  
Based on Fiore's autobiographical account, he can tentatively be placed in Perosa (Perugia) in 1381 when Piero del Verde likely fought a duel with Pietro della Corona (Peter Kornwald).<ref>This is the only point when both men are known to have been in Perugia at the same time; Verde died soon after this in 1385. See [https://talhoffer.wordpress.com/2013/04/24/fiore-his-master-and-his-students/ Fiore his masters and his students]. ''Hans Talhoffer ~ as seen by Jens P. Kleinau.'' in English and [http://www.condottieridiventura.it/index.php/lettera-v/2660-piero-del-verde “PIERO DEL VERDE (Paolo del Verde) Tedesco. Signore di Colle di Val d’Elsa.”]. and [http://www.condottieridiventura.it/index.php/lettera-c/971-pietro-della-corona “PIETRO DELLA CORONA (Pietro Cornuald) Tedesco. Signore di Angri.”]. ''Note biografiche di Capitani di Guerra e di Condottieri di Ventura operanti in Italia nel 1330 - 1550''. in Italian. Retrieved 2013-05-08.</ref> That same year, the Aquileian War of Succession erupted as a coalition of secular nobles from Udine and surrounding cities sought to remove the newly appointed Patriarch, Philippe II d'Alençon. Fiore seems to have sided with the secular nobility against the Cardinal as in 1383 there is record of him being tasked by the grand council with inspection and maintenance on the [[artillery]] pieces defending Udine (including large crossbows and catapults).<ref name="Mondschein 11"/><ref>Malipiero, p 85.</ref><ref name="Easton">[[Matt Easton|Easton, Matt]]. “[http://www.fioredeiliberi.org/fiore/ Fiore dei Liberi - Fiore di Battaglia - Flos Duellatorum]”. London: Schola Gladiatoria, 2009. Retrieved 2012-02-08.</ref> There are also records of him working variously as a magistrate, peace officer, and agent of the grand council during the course of 1384, but after that the historical record is silent. The war continued until a new Patriarch was appointed in 1389 and a peace settlement was reached, but it's unclear if Fiore remained involved for the duration. Given that he appears in council records five times in 1384, it would be quite odd for him to be completely unmentioned over the subsequent five years,<ref name="Mondschein 11"/><ref>Malipiero, pp 85-88.</ref> and since his absence after May of 1384 coincides with a proclamation in July of that year demanding that Udine cease hostilities or face harsh repercussions, it seems more likely that he moved on.
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Based on his autobiographical account, Fiore traveled a good deal in northern Italy, teaching fencing and training men for duels. He seems to have been in Perugia in 1381 in this capacity, when his student Peter von Grünen likely fought a duel with Peter Kornwald.<ref>This is the only point when both men are known to have been in Perugia at the same time; Verde died soon after this in 1385. See [https://talhoffer.wordpress.com/2013/04/24/fiore-his-master-and-his-students/ Fiore his masters and his students], ''Hans Talhoffer ~ as seen by Jens P. Kleinau'', in English and [http://www.condottieridiventura.it/index.php/lettera-v/2660-piero-del-verde “PIERO DEL VERDE (Paolo del Verde) Tedesco. Signore di Colle di Val d’Elsa.”] and [http://www.condottieridiventura.it/index.php/lettera-c/971-pietro-della-corona “PIETRO DELLA CORONA (Pietro Cornuald) Tedesco. Signore di Angri.”], ''Note biografiche di Capitani di Guerra e di Condottieri di Ventura operanti in Italia nel 1330 - 1550'', in Italian. Retrieved 2015-11-23.</ref>
  
After the war, Fiore seems to have traveled a good deal in northern Italy, teaching fencing and training men for duels. In 1395, he can be placed in Padua training the mercenary captain Galeazzo Gonzaga of Mantua for a duel with the French marshal Jean II le Maingre (who went by the war name “Boucicaut”). Galeazzo made the challenge when Boucicaut called into question the valor of Italians at the royal court of France, and the duel was ultimately set for Padua on 15 August. Both Francesco Novello da Carrara, Lord of Padua, and Francesco Gonzaga, Lord of Mantua, were in attendance. The duel was to begin with [[spear]]s on [[:category:Mounted Fencing|horseback]], but Boucicaut became impatient and dismounted, attacking Galeazzo before he could mount his own horse. Galeazzo landed a solid blow on the Frenchman’s helmet, but was subsequently disarmed. At this point, Boucicaut called for his poleaxe but the lords intervened to end the duel.<ref>Malipiero, pp 55-58.</ref><ref name="Easton"/><ref name="Galeazzo"/>
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In 1395, he can be placed in Padua training the mercenary captain Galeazzo Gonzaga of Mantua for a duel with the French marshal Jean le Maingre (who went by the war name “Boucicaut”). Galeazzo made the challenge when Boucicaut called into question the valor of Italians at the royal court of France, and the duel was ultimately set for Padua on 15 August. It was jointly hosted by Francesco Novello da Carrara, Lord of Padua, and Francesco Gonzaga, Lord of Mantua. The duel was to begin with [[spear]]s on [[:category:Mounted Fencing|horseback]], but Boucicaut became impatient and dismounted, attacking Galeazzo before he could mount his own horse. Galeazzo landed a solid blow on the Frenchman’s helmet, but was subsequently disarmed. At this point, Boucicaut called for his poleaxe but the lords intervened to end the duel.<ref>Malipiero, pp 55-58.</ref><ref name="Easton"/><ref name="Galeazzo"/>
  
Fiore surfaces again in Pavia in 1399, this time training Giovannino da Baggio for a duel with a German squire named Sirano. It was fought on 24 June and attended by Gian Galeazzo Visconti, Duke of Milan, as well as the Duchess and other nobles. The duel was to consist of three bouts of mounted lance followed by three bouts each of dismounted [[poleaxe]], [[estoc]], and [[dagger]]. They ultimately rode two additional passes and on the fifth, Baggio impaled Sirano’s horse through the chest, slaying the horse but losing his lance in the process. They fought the other nine bouts as scheduled, and due to the strength of their armor (and the fact that all of the weapons were blunted), both combatants reportedly emerged from these exchanges unharmed.<ref name="Malipiero 9496"/><ref name="Mondschein 12">Mondschein, p 12.</ref>
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Fiore surfaced again in Pavia in 1399, this time training Giovannino da Baggio for a duel with a German squire named Sirano. It was hosted by Gian Galeazzo Visconti, Duke of Milan, and fought on 24 June. The duel was to consist of three bouts of mounted lance followed by three bouts each of dismounted [[poleaxe]], [[estoc]], and [[dagger]]. They ultimately rode two additional passes and on the fifth, Baggio impaled Sirano’s horse through the chest, slaying the horse but losing his lance in the process. They fought the other nine bouts as scheduled, and due to the strength of their armor (and the fact that all of the weapons were blunted), both combatants reportedly emerged from these exchanges unharmed.<ref name="Malipiero 9496"/><ref name="Mondschein 12">Mondschein, p 12.</ref>
  
Fiore was likely involved in at least one other duel that year, that of his final student Azzone di Castelbarco and Giovanni degli Ordelaffi, as the latter is known to have died in 1399.<ref>Malipiero, p 97.</ref> After Castelbarco’s duel, Fiore’s activities are unclear. Based on the allegiances of the nobles that he trained in the 1390s, he seems to have been associated with the ducal court of Milan in the latter part of his career.<ref name="Easton"/> Some time in the first years of the 1400s, Fiore composed a fencing treatise in Italian and Latin called "The Flower of Battle" (rendered variously as ''Fior di Battaglia'', ''Florius de Arte Luctandi'', and ''Flos Duellatorum''). The briefest version of the text is dated to 1409 and indicates that it was a labor of six months and great personal effort;<ref name="de’i Liberi Pisani Dossi"/> as evidence suggests that two longer versions were composed some time before this,<ref>Fiore states in the preface to the [[Flos Duellatorum (Pisani Dossi MS)|Pisani Dossi MS]] that he had studied combat for fifty years, whereas the comparable statement in the [[Fior di Battaglia (MS M.383)|MS M.383]] and [[Fior di Battaglia (MS Ludwig XV 13)|MS Ludwig.XV.13]] mention the slightly shorter "forty years and more".</ref> we may assume that he devoted a considerable amount of time to writing during this decade.
+
Fiore was likely involved in at least one other duel that year, that of his final student Azzone di Castelbarco against Giovanni degli Ordelaffi, as the latter is known to have died in 1399.<ref>Malipiero, p 97.</ref> After Castelbarco’s duel, Fiore’s activities are unclear. Based on the allegiances of the nobles that he trained in the 1390s, he seems to have been associated with the ducal court of Milan in the latter part of his career.<ref name="Easton"/> Some time in the first years of the 1400s, Fiore composed a fencing treatise in Italian and Latin called "The Flower of Battle" (rendered variously as ''Fior di Battaglia'', ''Florius de Arte Luctandi'', and ''Flos Duellatorum''). The briefest version of the text is dated to 1409 and indicates that it was a labor of six months and great personal effort;<ref name="de’i Liberi Pisani Dossi"/> since evidence suggests that at least two longer versions were composed some time before this,<ref>Fiore states in the preface to the [[Flos Duellatorum (Pisani Dossi MS)|Pisani Dossi MS]] that he had studied combat for fifty years, whereas the comparable statement in the [[Tratt‍ato della sch‍erma (MS M.383)|MS M.383]] and [[Fior di Battaglia (MS Ludwig XV 13)|MS Ludwig ⅩⅤ 13]] mention the slightly shorter "forty years and more".</ref> we may assume that he devoted a considerable amount of time to writing during this decade.
  
Beyond this, nothing certain is known of Fiore's activities in the 15th century. [[Francesco Novati]] and [[D. Luigi Zanutto]] both assume that some time before 1409 he accepted an appointment as court fencing master to Niccolò III d’Este, Marquis of Ferrara, Modena, and Parma; presumably he would have made this change when Milan fell into disarray in 1402, though Zanutto went so far as to speculate that he trained Niccolò for his 1399 passage at arms.<ref>Zanutto, pp 211-212.</ref> However, while two surviving copies of "the Flower of Battle" are dedicated to the marquis, it seems more likely that the manuscripts were written as a diplomatic gift to Ferrara from Milan when they made peace in 1404.<ref name="Mondschein 12"/><ref name="Easton"/> C. A. Blengini di Torricella stated that late in life he made his way to Paris, France, where he could be placed teaching fencing in 1418 and creating a copy of a [[fencing manual]] located there in 1420. Though he attributes these facts to Novati, no publication verifying them has yet been located.<ref>In 1907, fencing master C. A. Blengini di Torricella mentioned that “In 1904, a historical work by [[Francesco Novati]], Director of the Academy in Milano and Gaffuri, Director of the graphical institute in Bergamo was published… These two prominent scholars uncovered documents, found in different archives, …''Rules for Fencing'' were printed by Fiore dei Liberi in 1420… And how could then dei Liberi have taught fencing lessons in Paris in 1418?” (translated from Norwegian by [[Roger Norling]]). See Blengini, di Torricella C. A. ''Haandbog i Fægtning med Floret, Kaarde, Sabel, Forsvar med Sabel mod Bajonet og Sabelhugning tilhest: Med forklarende Tegninger og en Oversigt over Fægtekunstens Historie og Udvikling.'' 1907. p 28.{{full}}</ref> The time and place of Fiore's death remain unknown.
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Beyond this, nothing certain is known of Fiore's activities in the 15th century. [[Francesco Novati]] and [[Luigi Zanutto]] both assume that some time before 1409 he accepted an appointment as court fencing master to Niccolò d’Este, Marquis of Ferrara, Modena, and Parma; presumably he would have made this change when Milan fell into disarray in 1402, though Zanutto went so far as to speculate that he trained Niccolò for his 1399 passage at arms.<ref>Zanutto, pp 211-212.</ref> However, while the records of the d’Este library indicate the presence of two versions of "the Flower of Battle", it seems more likely that the manuscripts were written as a diplomatic gift to Ferrara from Milan when they made peace in 1404.<ref name="Mondschein 12"/><ref name="Easton"/> C. A. Blengini di Torricella stated that late in life he made his way to Paris, France, where he could be placed teaching fencing in 1418 and creating a copy of a [[fencing manual]] located there in 1420. Though he attributes these facts to Novati, no publication verifying them has yet been located and this anecdote may be entirely spurious.<ref>In 1907, fencing master C. A. Blengini di Torricella mentioned that “In 1904, a historical work by [[Francesco Novati]], Director of the Academy in Milano and Gaffuri, Director of the graphical institute in Bergamo was published… These two prominent scholars uncovered documents, found in different archives, …''Rules for Fencing'' were printed by Fiore dei Liberi in 1420… And how could then dei Liberi have taught fencing lessons in Paris in 1418?” (translated from Norwegian by [[Roger Norling]]). See Blengini, di Torricella C. A. ''Haandbog i Fægtning med Floret, Kaarde, Sabel, Forsvar med Sabel mod Bajonet og Sabelhugning tilhest: Med forklarende Tegninger og en Oversigt over Fægtekunstens Historie og Udvikling.'' 1907. p 28.{{full}}</ref>
  
Despite the depth and complexity of his writings, Fiore de’i Liberi does not seem to have been a very significant master in the development of Italian fencing. That field was instead dominated by the tradition of his near-contemporary the Bolognese master [[Filippo di Bartolomeo Dardi]]. Even so, there are a number of later treatises which bear strong resemblance to his work, including the writings of [[Philippo di Vadi]] and [[Ludwig VI von Eyb]]. This may be due to the direct influence of Fiore or his writings, or it may instead indicate that the older tradition of Johane and Nicholai survived and spread outside of his direct line.
+
The time and place of Fiore's death remain unknown.
  
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Despite the extent and complexity of his writings, Fiore de’i Liberi does not seem to have been a very significant master in the evolution of fencing in Central Europe. That field was instead dominated by the traditions of two masters of the subsequent generation: [[Johannes Liechtenauer]] in Bavaria and [[Filippo di Bartolomeo Dardi]] in Bologna. Even so, there are a few later treatises which bear strong resemblance to his work, including the writings of [[Philippo di Vadi]] and [[Ludwig VI von Eyb]]. This may be due to the direct influence of Fiore or his writings, or it may instead indicate that the older tradition of Johane and Nicholai survived and spread outside of Fiore's direct line.
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{{TOC limit|3}}
 
== Treatise ==
 
== Treatise ==
  
Four [[illuminated manuscript]] copies of this treatise are currently known to exist (as well as a 17th century fragment), and there are records of at least two others whose current locations are unknown.<ref>The Codex LXXXIV (or MS 84) consisted of 58 folia bound in leather with a clasp, and whose first page showed a white eagle and two helmets; the Codex CX (or MS 110) was a small, unbound volume consisting of only 15 folia. See Novati, pp 29-30. It is conceivable that one of the four extant versions is the MS 84, but no evidence in support of this proposition has yet surfaced.</ref> The [[Fior di Battaglia (MS Ludwig XV 13)|MS Ludwig XV 13]] and the [[Flos Duellatorum (Pisani Dossi MS)|Pisani Dossi MS]] are both dedicated to Niccolò III d'Este and state that they were written at his request and according to his design. The [[Fior di Battaglia (MS M.383)|MS M.383]], on the other hand, lacks a dedication and claims to have been laid out according to his own intelligence while the [[Florius de Arte Luctandi (MS Latin 11269)|MS Latin 11269]] lost any dedication it might have had along with its prologue. Each of the extant copies of ''the Flower of Battle'' follows a distinct order, though both of these pairs contain strong similarities to each other in order of presentation. In addition, Philippo di Vadi's manuscript from the 1480s, whose second half is essentially a redaction of ''the Flower of Battle'', provides a valuable fifth point of reference when considering Fiore's teachings.
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The d’Este family owned at least three manuscripts by Fiore during the 15th century,<ref>There are two records in the [https://archive.org/details/giornalestoricod14toriuoft/page/18/mode/2up 1436 catalog] and two records in the [https://books.google.com/books?id=yz5FAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA219 1467 catalog], but only one of the manuscript descriptions is similar between the catalogs. The 1436 catalog lists one unbound Latin manuscript and one Italian manuscript in red leather; the 1467 catalog lists two Latin manuscripts, one of which was only 15 unbound folia (probably the same as the one from 1436) and one of which was 58 folia bound in white leather. From this, we might speculate that the Getty manuscript was present in 1436, the Paris manuscript in 1467, and the third (very short) manuscript is currently unknown to us. If there were an error in the 1467 catalog, then the unknown manuscript could be the Pisani Dossi, which currently consists of 35 unbound folia.</ref> and a total of four copies survive to the present. Of these, the [[Fior di Battaglia (MS Ludwig XV 13)|MS Ludwig ⅩⅤ 13]] (Getty) and the [[Flos Duellatorum (Pisani Dossi MS)|Pisani Dossi MS]] (Novati) are both dedicated to Niccolò Ⅲ d’Este and state that they were written at his request and according to his design. The [[Tratt‍ato della sch‍erma (MS M.383)|MS M.383]] (Morgan), on the other hand, lacks a dedication and claims to have been laid out according to his own intelligence, while the [[Florius de Arte Luctandi (MS Latin 11269)|MS Latin 11269]] (Paris) lost any dedication it might have had along with its prologue. Each of the extant copies of the ''Flower of Battle'' follows a unique specific sequence of plays, though the Getty and Novati contain strong similarities to each other in order of presentation, as do the Morgan and Paris.  
  
The major sections of the work include: ''abrazare'' or [[grappling]]; ''[[dagger|daga]]'', including both unarmed defenses against the dagger and plays of dagger against dagger; ''spada a un mano'', the use of the [[longsword|sword]] in one hand (also called "the sword without the buckler"); ''spada a dui mani'', the use of the sword in two hands; ''spada en arme'', the use of the sword in [[armor]] (primarily techniques from the [[halfsword|shortened sword]]); ''azza'', plays of the [[poleaxe]] in armor; ''lancia'', [[spear]] and staff plays; and mounted combat (including the spear, the sword, and mounted grappling). Brief bridging sections serve to connect each of these, covering such topics as ''bastoncello'', or plays of a [[club (weapon)|small stick or baton]] against unarmed and dagger-wielding opponents; plays of sword vs. dagger; plays of staff and dagger and of two clubs and a dagger; and the use of the [[spear|chiavarina]] against a man on horseback.
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In addition, Philippo di Vadi’s manuscript from the 1480s, whose second half is essentially a redaction of the ''Flower of Battle'', provides a valuable fifth point of reference when considering Fiore’s teachings. (These is also a 17th century copy of the Morgan’s preface, transcribed by Apostolo Zeno, but it contributes little to our understanding of the text.)
  
The format of instruction is largely consistent across all copies of the treatise. Each section begins with a group of Masters (or Teachers), figures in golden crowns who each demonstrate a particular guard for use with their weapon. These are followed by a master called "Remedio" (remedy) who demonstrates a defensive technique against some basic attack (usually how to use one of the listed guards to defend), and then by his various Scholars (or Students), figures wearing golden garters on their legs who demonstrate iterations and variations of this remedy. After the scholars there is typically a master called "Contrario" (counter), wearing both crown and garter, who demonstrates how to counter the master's remedy (and those of his scholars), who is likewise sometimes followed by his own scholars in garters. In rare cases, a fourth type of master appears called "Contra-Contrario" (counter-counter), who likewise wears the crown and garter and demonstrates how to defeat the master's counter. Some sections feature multiple master remedies or master counters, while some have only one. There are also many cases in which an image in one manuscript will only feature a scholar's garter where the corresponding image in another also includes a master's crown. Depending on the instance, this may either be intentional or merely an error in the art.
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The major sections of the work include: ''abrazare'' or [[grappling]]; ''[[dagger|daga]]'', including both unarmed defenses against the dagger and plays of dagger against dagger; ''spada a un mano'', the use of the [[sword]] in one hand (also called "the sword without the buckler"); ''spada a dui mani'', the use of the sword in two hands; ''spada en arme'', the use of the sword in [[armor]] (primarily techniques from the [[halfsword|shortened sword]]); ''azza'', plays of the [[poleaxe]] in armor; ''lancia'', [[spear]] and staff plays; and mounted combat (including the spear, the sword, and mounted grappling). Brief bridging sections serve to connect each of these, covering such topics as ''bastoncello'', or plays of a [[club (weapon)|small stick or baton]] against unarmed and dagger-wielding opponents; plays of sword vs. dagger; plays of staff and dagger and of two clubs and a dagger; and the use of the [[spear|chiavarina]] against a man on horseback.
  
The concordance below includes Zeno's transcription of the Getty preface for reference, and then drops the (thereafter empty) column in favor of a second image column for the main body of the treatise. Generally only the right-side image column will contain illustrations—the left-side column will only contain additional content when when the text describes an image that spans the width of the page in the manuscripts, or when there are significant discrepancies between the available illustrations (in such cases, they sometimes display two stages of the same technique and will be placed in "chronological" order if possible). There are likewise two translation columns, with the the two manuscripts dedicated to Niccolò on the left and the two undedicated manuscripts on the right; in both columns, the short text of the PD and Paris will come first, followed by the longer paragraphs of the Getty and Morgan.
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The format of instruction is largely consistent across all copies of the treatise. Each section begins with a group of Masters (or Teachers), figures in golden crowns who each demonstrate a particular guard for use with their weapon. These are followed by a master called ''Remedio'' ("Remedy") who demonstrates a defensive technique against some basic attack (usually how to use one of the listed guards to defend), and then by his various Scholars (or Students), figures wearing golden garters on their legs who demonstrate iterations and variations of this remedy. After the scholars there is typically a master called ''Contrario'' ("Counter" or "Contrary"), wearing both crown and garter, who demonstrates how to counter the master’s remedy (and those of his scholars), who is likewise sometimes followed by his own scholars in garters. In rare cases, a fourth type of master appears called ''Contra-Contrario'' ("Counter-counter"), who likewise wears the crown and garter and demonstrates how to defeat the master’s counter. Some sections feature multiple master remedies or master counters, while some have only one. While the crowns and garters are used across all extant versions of the treatise, the specific implementation of the system varies; all versions include at least a few apparently errors in assignation of crowns and garters, and there are many cases in which an illustration in one manuscript will only feature a scholar’s garter where the corresponding illustration in another also includes a master’s crown (depending on the instance, this may either be intentional or merely an error in the art). Alone of the four versions, the Morgan seeks to further expand the system by coloring the metallic portions of the master or scholar’s weapon silver, while that of the player is left uncolored; this is also imperfectly-executed, but seems to have been intended as a visual indicator of which weapon belongs to which figure.
  
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The concordance below includes Zeno’s transcription of the Morgan preface for reference, and then drops the (thereafter empty) column in favor of a second illustration column for the main body of the treatise. (The Zeno transcript is in the first transcription column even though it’s the youngest source so that the others can remain in the same position throughout.) Generally only the right-side column will contain illustrations—the left-side column will only contain additional content when when the text describes an illustration that spans the width of the page in the manuscripts, or when there are significant discrepancies between the available illustrations (in such cases, they sometimes display two stages of the same technique and will be placed in "chronological" order if possible). The illustrations from the Getty, Morgan, and Paris are taken from high-resolution scans supplied by those institutions, whereas the illustrations of the Pisani Dossi are taken from Novati’s 1902 facsimile (scanned by Wiktenauer). There are likewise two translation columns, with the the two manuscripts dedicated to Niccolò on the left and the two undedicated manuscripts on the right; in both columns, the short text of the PD and Paris will come first, followed by the longer paragraphs of the Getty and Morgan.
| title    = <span style="font-size:130%;">First Italian Preface</span>
 
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  | title     = <span style="font-size:130%;">Second Italian Preface</span>
 
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{| class="master"
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|-
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! <p>Illustrations</p>
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! <p>{{rating|B|Completed Translation (from the Getty)}}<br/>by [[Colin Hatcher]]</p>
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! <p>{{rating|B|Completed Translation (from the Morgan)}}<br/>by [[Michael Chidester]]</p>
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! <p>[[Fior di Battaglia (MS XXIV)|San Daniele del Friuli Version]] (1699){{edit index| Fior di Battaglia (MS XXIV)}}<br/>Transcribed by [[Michael Chidester]]</p>
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! <p>[[Tratt‍ato della sch‍erma (MS M.383)|Morgan Version]] (1400s){{edit index|Tratt‍ato della sch‍erma (MS M.383)}}<br/>Transcribed by [[Michael Chidester]]</p>
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! <p>[[Fior di Battaglia (MS Ludwig XV 13)|Getty Version]] (1400s){{edit index|Fior di Battaglia (MS Ludwig XV 13)}}<br/>Transcribed by [[Michael Chidester]]</p>
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! <p>[[Flos Duellatorum (Pisani Dossi MS)|Pisani Dossi Version]] (1409){{edit index|Flos Duellatorum (Pisani Dossi MS)}}<br/>Transcribed by [[Michael Chidester]]</p>
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! <p>[[Florius de Arte Luctandi (MS Latin 11269)|Paris Version]] (1420s){{edit index|Florius de Arte Luctandi (MS Latin 11269)}}<br/>Transcribed by [[Kendra Brown]] and [[Rebecca Garber]]</p>
  
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| title    = <span style="font-size:130%;">Seven Swords</span>
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| <p>I, Fiore the Friulian,<ref>Fiore ''Furlan'' means “Fiore the Friulian”, i.e. “Fiore of Friuli”. Friuli is an area in the extreme north-eastern corner of Italy, to the
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north-east of Venice, with Austria to the north and Slovenia to the east.</ref> born in Cividale D’Austria, was the son of Sir Benedetto of the noble order
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of the free knights of Premariacco,<ref>Fiore the Friulian, of the free knights of Premariacco is usually referred to as Fiore dei Liberi (one translation would be “Fiore of the Free Knights”). We don’t know for sure whether “Fiore” (“Flower”) was his real name or a pen-name. “Fiore” certainly existed as a real name for a man in medieval Italy—it was a common unisex medieval Christian name derived from the Italian word for flower. Alternately “Flower of the Free Knights” also makes sense, meaning “The best of the free knights.” As to the question of whether “Liberi” is a family name or simply refers to the class of free knights, since the word is spelled in Fiore’s manuscripts, in Getty (“liberi”), Pisani-Dossi (“liberorum”) and Morgan (“liberi”), with a small “l” for “liberi”, I am translating this word not as a family name (“Liberi”) but as “free knights” (“milites liberi”).</ref> in the diocese of the Patriarchate of Aquileia.</p>
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<p>As a young man I<ref>I have translated the entire Prologue into the first person “I”, rather than use the third person “Fiore”, so as to make it more friendly and direct to read.</ref> desired to learn armed fighting,<ref>“Armiçare” or “Armizare” means the art of armed fighting or fighting with weapons. Fiore refers to his martial art as both “L’Arte d’Armizare” (Art of Armed Combat) and “La Scientia d’Armizare” (Science of Armed Combat). However, you should note that the words ''Arte'' and ''Scientia'' do not necessarily have their modern meanings. ''Arte'' may mean simply “skill” and the word “''Scientia''” may mean simply “knowledge”. Thus “the skill and knowledge of armed fighting”.</ref> including the art of fighting in the lists<ref>Fiore is comparing the two kinds of fighting: sport/tournament (“combatter a sbarra”—“in the lists”) and mortal combat (“combatter adoltrança”—“to the death”). To fight “in the lists” was not however without serious risks of injury and/or death. Medieval knights took these tournaments very seriously as matters of honor, and renown was won and lost in such events. Fiore also appears to include duels of honor in his term “in sbara”. The fights he describes below include duels of honor.</ref> with spear, poleaxe, sword, dagger and unarmed grappling, on foot and on horseback, armored and unarmored.</p>
| title    = <span style="font-size:130%;">[[Grappling]]</span>
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| <p>Fiore Friulano de Cividale d'Austria, the son of Sir Benedetto of the noble house of the Liberi of Premariacco in the diocese of the Patriarchate of Aquileia, in his youth wanted to learn fencing and the art of combat in the barriers (that is, to the death); of lance, ax, sword, and dagger, and of wrestling, on foot and on horse, in armor and without armor.</p>
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| title    = <span style="font-size:130%;">Baton</span>
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| <p> In addition I wanted to study how weapons were made,<ref>“tempere di ferri” means literally “the tempering of iron”. I have translated this liberally to “the construction of weapons” to more clearly reflect what I believe Fiore means here. See also fn. 37 below.</ref> and the characteristics of each weapon for both offense and defense, particularly as they applied to mortal combat.</p>
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| <p>Also he wanted to know of the temper of iron, and the qualities of each weapon, as much for defense as for offense, and most of all matters of mortal combat.</p>
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| title    = <span style="font-size:130%;">[[Dagger]]</span>
 
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{| class="wikitable floated master"
 
 
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! <p><includeonly><span style="font-weight:normal; font-size:85%;">&#91;{{edit|Fiore de'i Liberi/Dagger|edit}}&#93;</span> &nbsp; </includeonly>Images</p>
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| <p>I also desired to learn the wondrous secrets of this art known only by very few men in this world.</p>
! <p>Images</p>
 
! <p>{{rating|B|English Translation (from the Getty and PD)}}<br/>by [[Colin Hatcher]]</p>
 
! <p>{{rating|none|English Translation (from the Paris)}}<br/>Open for editing</p>
 
! <p>[[Fior di Battaglia (MS M.383)|Morgan Transcription]]&nbsp;<span style="font-weight:normal; font-size:85%;">&#91;[[Index:Fior di Battaglia (MS M.383)|edit]]&#93;</span><br/>Open for editing</p>
 
! <p>[[Fior di Battaglia (MS Ludwig XV 13)|Getty Transcription]]&nbsp;<span style="font-weight:normal; font-size:85%;">&#91;[[Index:Fior di Battaglia (MS Ludwig XV 13)|edit]]&#93;</span><br/>Open for editing</p>
 
! <p>[[Flos Duellatorum (Pisani Dossi MS)|Pisani Dossi Transcription]]&nbsp;<span style="font-weight:normal; font-size:85%;">&#91;[[Index:Flos Duellatorum (Pisani Dossi MS)|edit]]&#93;</span><br/>by [[Francesco Novati]]</p>
 
! <p>[[Florius de Arte Luctandi (MS Latin 11269)|Paris Transcription]]&nbsp;<span style="font-weight:normal; font-size:85%;">&#91;[[Index:Florius de Arte Luctandi (MS Latin 11269)|edit]]&#93;</span><br/>by [[user:Charlélie Berthaut|Charlélie Berthaut]]</p>
 
  
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<p>And these secrets will give you mastery of attack and defense, and make you invincible, for victory comes easily to a man who has the skill and mastery described above.</p>
|
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| <p>Also other marvelous and occult things that are apparent to few men in the world, and are very true things and very great for offense and defense, and things that cannot fail you, so easy are they to do, which art and mystery is described above.</p>
| style="text-align:center; vertical-align:middle;" | [No Image]
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| {{section|Page:MS XXIV 783r.jpg|4|lbl=-}}
| <p>'''[1]''' <section begin="dagger 1"/>These five figures are the guards of the dagger; and some are good in armor; and some are good without armor; and some are good both in or out of armor; and some are good in armor but not good without armor; and all these are displayed below.<section end="dagger 1"/></p>
 
 
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{{section|Page:MS M.383 1r.jpg|1r.3|lbl=-|p=1}} {{section|Page:MS M.383 1r.jpg|1r.4|lbl=-|p=1}}
 
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| {{section|Page:MS Ludwig XV 13 09r.jpg|9r-t}}
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{{section|Page:MS Ludwig XV 13 01r.jpg|1r.3|lbl=-|p=1}} {{section|Page:MS Ludwig XV 13 01r.jpg|1r.4|lbl=-|p=1}}
 
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| <p>I learned these skills from many German and Italian<ref>It is important to remember that when Fiore refers to “Germans” and “Italians” he is referring to language/cultures and not referring to nation states. Neither “Germany” nor “Italy” existed at this time.</ref> masters and their senior students, in many provinces and many cities, and at great personal cost and expense.</p>
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| <p>And the aforesaid Fiore did learn the aforesaid things from many German masters. Also from many Italians in many provinces and in many cities, with great fatigue and with great expense, and by the grace of God from so many masters and scholars.</p>
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| {{section|Page:MS XXIV 783r.jpg|5|lbl=-}}
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| {{section|Page:MS Ludwig XV 13 01r.jpg|1r.5|lbl=-}}
 
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| [[File:MS Ludwig XV 13 09r-a.jpg|300px|center]]
 
| <p>'''[2]''' <section begin="dagger 2"/>'''{{red|[Full Iron Gate, Single]}}'''
 
<p>I am Full Iron Gate Single. And I am good in armour and without armour, because I can ward off an attack with or without moving to grapple. And I can play with or without a dagger when I make my covers.</p><section end="dagger 2"/>
 
 
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| <p>And by the grace of God I also acquired so much knowledge at the courts of noblemen, princes, dukes, marquises, counts, knights and squires, that increasingly I was myself asked to teach. My services were requested many times by noblemen, knights and their squires, who wanted me to teach them the art of armed combat<ref>Here is where Fiore names his martial art: “Arte d’Armizare”—“the Art of Armed Combat”.</ref> both for fighting at the barrier<ref>“in Sbarra” means literally “at the barriers”. In many medieval sporting events the combatants would fight with swords or spears over a fence (barrier). This prevented the combatants from closing to grapple and thus tested their long range fighting skills. Fiore uses this term to refer to sporting events as opposed to fights to the death. Fiore tells us he was asked to teach for both.</ref> and for mortal combat. And so I taught this art to many Italians and Germans and other noblemen who were obliged to fight at the barrier, as well as to numerous noblemen who did not actually compete.</p>
 +
 +
<p>And below are the names and a little of the history of some of the noblemen who have been my students, and who were obliged to fight at the barrier.</p>
 +
| <p>And in so many courts of great lords, princes, dukes, marquises and counts, knights, and squires did he undertake this art, that the aforesaid Fiore was more and more times retained by many lords and knights and squires for learning from the aforesaid Fiore to do the art of fencing and of combat in the barriers to the bitter end, which art he demonstrated to many Italians and Germans and other great lords that were obliged to combat in the barriers (and also to countless that were not obliged to combat). And of some that have been my scholars that have been obliged to combat in the barriers, of these I wish to name and make here a remembrance.</p>
 
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{{section|Page:MS XXIV 783r.jpg|6|lbl=-|p=1}} {{section|Page:MS XXIV 783v.jpg|1|lbl=783v|p=1}}
{{section|Page:MS Ludwig XV 13 09r.jpg|9r-a}}
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| <p>The first of them was the noble and gallant knight Piero del Verde<ref>Piero del Verde (Getty), Piero dal Verde (Morgan), (lit. “Peter of the Green”), also named elsewhere as Paolo del Verde, Pietro del Verde and Pietro von Grünen, was a recorded German condottiero (mercenary) captain who died in 1384. His birth date is not known.</ref> who fought Piero della Corona.<ref>Piero della Corona (Getty), Piero dalla Corona (Morgan) (lit “Peter of the Crown”), also named elsewhere as Pietro della Corona, Peter Kornwald, Pietro Cornuald, was another recorded German ''condottiero'' (mercenary) captain who died in 1391. His birth date is not known.</ref> Both were German, and the fight took place in Perosa.<ref>Perosa/Perusia is now known as Perugia. It is situated about 100 miles north of Rome. The date of this duel is estimated between 1379 and 1381, when both knights are recorded as present in this region.</ref></p>
| <p>'''[3]''' <section begin="dagger 3"/>'''{{red|[Full Iron Door, Doubled]}}'''
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| <p>And the first notable and gallant knight is Sir Peter von Grünen, who was obliged to combat with Sir Peter Kornwald (who were both Germans). And the battle was required to be at Perugia.</p>
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<p>I am Full Iron Gate Doubled, and I am good in armour and without armour, but in all situations I am better in armour than without armour, and with a guard like this I cannot use a dagger.</p><section end="dagger 3"/>
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| <p> Next was the brave knight Niccolo Voriçilino,<ref>Nicolo Voriçilino (Getty), Nicholo Vnriçilino (Morgan), is named elsewhere variously as Niccolo Voricilino, Niccolo Borialino, Niccolo Waizilino, Nikolaus Weiss , and Nicholas von Urslingen. There is no historical record, however, as to who this person was.</ref> also a German, who was obliged to fight Niccolo Inghileso.<ref>Niccolo “Inghileso” (Getty and Morgan) translates as Nicholas “the Englishman”. However, there is no historical record as to
 +
who this person was.</ref> The field of battle for this fight was Imola.<ref name="Imola">The city of Imola is about 120 miles south-west of Venice.</ref></p>
 +
| <p>Also the valiant knight Sir Nikolo [illegible] (the German), who was obliged to combat with Nicolo (the English), and the field was given at Imola.</p>
 
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| <p>Next was the well-known, valiant and gallant knight Galeazzo de Capitani da Grimello, known as da Mantova,<ref>Galeazzo de Capitani da Grimello da Mantova (Getty), Galeaz delli capitani de Grimello chiamado da Montoa (Morgan), also named Galeazzo de Mantova (eng. Mantua), Galeazzo Cattaneo dei Grumelli, and Galeazzo Gonzaga, was an Italian condottiero captain who died in 1406. We do not know his birth.
| <p>'''[4]''' <section begin="dagger 4"/>'''{{red|[Full Iron Door, Doubled and Crossed]}}'''
 
  
<p>And I am Full Iron Gate with the arms crossed and doubled. And I am like a mighty fortress, and in armour I am especially strong. But without armour I am not sufficient, because I cannot cover long.</p><section end="dagger 4"/>
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Significantly Galeazzo fought two duels against Buzichardo de Fraza, also known as Boucicault, one in 1395 that was stopped by the supervising Lord where the parties were evenly matched, and one in 1406, where Galeazzo defeated Boucicault. To be able to say that one of his students defeated the mighty Boucicault in single combat would have looked very impressive on Fiore’s resume.</ref> who was obliged to fight the valiant knight Buçichardo de Fraca.<ref>Buçichardo de Fraca (Getty), Briçichardo  de Franza (Morgan), named elsewhere as Buzichardo de Fraza, also known as Boucicault, or Jean Ⅱ Le Maingre (1364-1421), was a French military general who was honored by King Charles VI as Marshall of France in 1391, and was a knight of great renown for his military skill, and his strength and athleticism in single combat. Apparently at a dinner at which both Boucicault and Galeazzo were present, Boucicault insulted Italians claiming he could beat any Italian knight in single combat. Galeazzo accepted the challenge, and the two fought with spears on foot in 1395, a duel that was a draw, when it was halted by the supervising lord, Francesco Gonzaga, Lord of Mantova. The enmity was not forgotten however, and the two repeated their duel in 1406, this time on horseback with lances, at which time Boucicault was defeated by Galeazzo.</ref> The field of battle for this fight was Padova.<ref>Padova (Padua) is about 20 miles west of Venice.</ref></p>
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| <p>Also the notable, valiant, and gallant knight Sir Galeazzo Cattaneo dei Grumelli, called da Mantua, who was obliged to combat with the valiant knight Sir Boucicault (Jean Ⅱ le Maingre) of France, and the field was at Padua.</p>
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| {{section|Page:MS Ludwig XV 13 01r.jpg|1r.9|lbl=-}}
 
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| <p>Next was the valiant squire<ref>A squire was a nobleman who was trained and skilled in the knightly arts, but who had not yet been knighted. Note the fighting abilities of the squire were not necessarily any different from the knight proper.</ref> Lancillotto da Becharia de Pavia,<ref>Lancillotto da Becharia de Pavia (Getty), Lanzilotto de Boecharia da Pavia (Morgan), also called Lancilotto Beccaria was an Italian condottiero captain who died in 1418. We do not know his birthdate.</ref> who exchanged six strikes with a sharpened steel lance<ref>Notice that although these are “sporting events” they were using real spears.</ref> against the valiant German knight Baldassarro,<ref>Baldassarro (Getty), Baldesar (Morgan) refers to the German knight Balthasar von Braunschweig-Grubenhagen (1336-1385)</ref> in a fight that took place in the lists at Imola.<ref name="Imola"/></p>
{{section|Page:MS Ludwig XV 13 09r.jpg|9r-f}}
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| <p>Also the valiant squire Lancillotto Beccaria of Pavia. That was 6 thrusts of ground-iron lance<ref name="moladi">''Ferri moladi'' is an ambiguous term: ''molare'' means "to grind with a stone", but it's unclear whether this means the lance was sharp or blunt since both processes would involve a stone. However, another period account of Sirano's duel specifies that it was with ''lancee acute'' or sharp lances, so that's probably the grinding that Fiore meant.</ref> on horseback against the valiant knight Sir Balthasar von Braunschweig-Grubenhagen (a German), and also obliged to combat in the list, and this was at Imola.</p>
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| <p>Next was the valiant squire Gioanino da Bavo,<ref>Gioanino de Bavo (Getty), Zohanni de Baio (Morgan), also named Giovannino da Baio likely refers to the French knight Jean de Bayeux, who is recorded as being in the area at this time.</ref> from Milan, who, in the castle in Pavia,<ref>The city of Pavia is 20 miles south of Milan.</ref> fought three passes with a sharpened steel lance, against the valiant German squire Sram.<ref>The identity of the German squire named Sram (Getty and Morgan), Schraam, or Schramm, is not known.</ref> And then on foot he fought three passes with the axe, three with the sword and three with the dagger, in the presence of the very noble prince and lord the Duke of Milan, and his lady the Duchess, and numerous other lords and ladies.</p>
| <p>'''[5]''' <section begin="dagger 5"/>'''{{red|[Middle Iron Gate, Doubled]}}'''
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| <p>Also the valiant squire Giovannino da Baggio of Milan, who in the castle in Pavia, with the valiant squire Sirano (the German), struck three thrusts of ground-iron lance<ref name="moladi"/> on horseback. And then on foot he made three blows of axe, and three blows of sword, and three blows of dagger, in the presence of the most noble lord Duke of Milan, and of the lady Duchess, and of countless other lords and lady.</p>
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<p>I am Middle Iron Gate with dagger in hand and I am doubled, and I am better and more strong than any of the others, and I am good in armour and without armour, and I can cover low and high on either side.</p><section end="dagger 5"/>
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| <p>Next was the cautious knight Sir Açço da Castell Barcho,<ref>Açço da Castell Barcho (Getty), Azo da Castelbarcho (Morgan), refers to Azzone Francesco di Castelbarco, an Italian condottiero captain who died in 1410. We do not know his birthdate.</ref> who was obliged to fight one pass against Çuanne di Ordelaffi,<ref>Çuanne di Ordelaffi (Getty), Zohanni di li Ordelaffig (Morgan) refers to Giovanni Ordelaffi, an Italian condottiero captain (1355-1399).</ref> and another pass against the valiant and good knight Sir Jacomo di Boson,<ref>Jacomo di Boson (Getty), Jacomo de Besen (Morgan), or Giacomo da Boson, likely refers to the German nobleman Jakob von Bozen.</ref> the location chosen by his eminence the Duke of Milan.</p>
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| <p>Also the cautious knight Sir Azzone di Castelbarco, who once was obliged to combat with Sir Giovanni di Ordelaffi. And another time with the valiant and virtuous knight Sir Giacomo da Boson, and the field was set at the pleasure of the lord Duke of Milan.</p>
 
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{{section|Page:MS XXIV 783v.jpg|6|lbl=-|p=1}} {{section|Page:MS XXIV 783ar.jpg|1|lbl=783ar|p=1}}
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| <p>Of these and of others whom I, Fiore, have taught, I am very proud, because I have been well rewarded, plus I earned the respect and the affection of my students and also of their relatives.</p>
| <p>'''[6]''' <section begin="dagger 6"/>'''{{red|[Middle Iron Gate, Doubled and Crossed]}}'''
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<p>Also, I should tell you that I always taught this art secretly, and so no one was  present at my lessons except for the student and occasionally a close relative of his, and if anyone else was there by my grace or favor, they were only allowed to watch after swearing a sacred oath of secrecy, swearing by their faith not to reveal any of the techniques they saw me, Master Fiore, demonstrate.</p>
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| <p>These and others have I, Fiore, taught, and I am very content because I have been well-remunerated and I have had the honor and the love of my scholars and of their relatives.</p>
  
<p>And I am Middle Iron Gate doubled and crossed [with dagger]. And I am good in armour but not without armour, because I cannot cover long, but I can cover above and below, from the right and the left, with or without a dagger.</p><section end="dagger 6"/>
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<p>Also I say that to whom I have taught this art, I have taught secretly, that there was no person other than the scholar and some close relative of his. Also that those who were present had sworn with sacrament that they would not reveal any play that they had seen from me, Fiore.</p>
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{{section|Page:MS Ludwig XV 13 01r.jpg|1r.13|lbl=-|p=1}} {{section|Page:Getty Ms. Ludwig XV 13 01v - Fiore dei Liberi - Decorated Text Page - Google Art Project.jpg|1v.1|lbl=1v|p=1}}
 
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| <p>More than anyone else I was careful around other Masters of Arms and their students. And some of these Masters who were envious of me challenged me to fight<ref>These were duels of honor, and were taken very seriously in these times.</ref> with sharp edged and pointed swords<ref>Fiore actually says that the swords are “di taglo e di punta” meaning literally “for cutting and thrusting”, or “sharp edged and
{{section|Page:MS Ludwig XV 13 09r.jpg|9r-c}}
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pointed”.</ref> wearing only a padded jacket,<ref>A “çuparello darmare” or “zuparello d’armare” is an arming jacket, that is, a cloth padded jacket worn underneath armour as a foundation garment.</ref> and without any other armor except for a pair of leather gloves; and this happened because I refused to practice with them or teach them anything of my art.</p>
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| <p>And most of all have I been wary of fencing masters and of their scholars. And they (that is, the masters), out of envy, challenged me to play at swords of sharpened edge and point, in arming jacket but without any other armor save for a pair of chamois gloves, and all of this was because I did not wish to practice with them, nor did I wish to teach them anything of my art.</p>
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| rowspan="6" | [[File:MS Ludwig XV 13 09v-a.jpg|300px|center]]
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| <p>And I was obliged to fight five times in this way. And five times, for my honor, I had to fight in unfamiliar places without relatives and without friends to support me, not trusting anyone but God, my art, myself, and my sword. And by the grace of God, I acquitted  myself honorably and without injury to myself.<ref>We don’t know if this means he won all five duels, or simply acquitted himself well. But he says he was not
| <p>'''[7]''' <section begin="dagger 7"/>Everyone should take care when facing the perilous dagger, and your arms, hands and elbows must go quickly against it, to do these five things, namely: take away the dagger; strike; dislocate the arms; bind the arms; and force your opponent to the ground. And never fail to do one or the other of these five things; And may he who seeks to defend himself protect himself in this way.<section end="dagger 7"/></p>
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injured.</ref></p>
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| <p>And this incident, that I was so required, occurred 5 times. And 5 times, for my honor, I convened to play in strange places, without relatives and without friends, having no hope in anything other than in God, in the art, and in me, Fiore, and in my sword. And by the grace of God, I, Fiore, remained with honor and without lesions in my person.</p>
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| <p>'''[8]''' <section begin="dagger 8"/>With the ''fendente'' I can strike to the head and the body from the elbow up to the top of the head. But below the elbow I cannot be sure that I can make this strike without danger, and therefore I am reluctant to strike lower.<section end="dagger 8"/></p>
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| {{section|Page:MS Ludwig XV 13 09v.jpg|9v-b}}
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| <p>I tell my students who have to fight at the barrier that fighting at the barrier is significantly less dangerous than fighting with live swords wearing only padded jackets, because when you fight with sharp swords, if you fail to cover one single strike you will likely die.</p>
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| <p>Also I, Fiore, said to my students that were obliged to combat in the barriers that combat in the barriers is a far lesser peril than combat with sword of sharp edge and point in arming jackets. Because for him that plays at sharp swords, on a single cover that fails, that blow gives him death.</p>
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| <p>'''[9]''' <section begin="dagger 9"/>From the left (reverse) side, you can strike from the elbow to end at the temple of the head. And these are called the ''colpi mezani'' (middle strikes). And these reverse strikes from the left cannot be delivered if you are still waiting to make cover against your opponent’s attack.<section end="dagger 9"/></p>
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| {{section|Page:MS Ludwig XV 13 09v.jpg|9v-c}}
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| <p>On the other hand, if you fight at the barrier and are well armored, you can take a lot of hits, but you can still win the fight. And here is another fact: at the barrier it is rare that anyone dies from being hit. So as far as I am concerned, and as I explained above, I would rather fight three times at the barrier than one time in a duel with sharp swords.</p>
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| <p>And one that combats in the barriers and is well-armored, he can receive several such strikes and can still win the battle.</p>
  
|-
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<p>Also, there is another thing: that only on rare occasions does someone perish because of grabs and holds. Thus I say that I would sooner combat three times in the barriers than just one time with sharp swords, as I said above.</p>
| <p>'''[10]''' <section begin="dagger 10"/>From the right side you can strike or cover if needed, and your target ranges from the elbows to the temples of the head. And this strike is more safely made from the right side than made from the left side.<section end="dagger 10"/></p>
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| <p>'''[11]''' <section begin="dagger 11"/>The dagger that goes through the middle towards the head strikes below the chest and never higher. And while striking you should at all times make cover with your left hand.<section end="dagger 11"/></p>
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| {{section|Page:MS Ludwig XV 13 09v.jpg|9v-e}}
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| <p>Now I should add that a man may fight at the barrier well armored, with a knowledge of the art of combat,<ref>In addition to “L’Arte d’Armizare” (the art of armed fighting), L’Arte del Combattere (the art of combat) is a second name Fiore gives to his art.</ref> and may have all the advantages possible to have, but if he lacks courage he may as well just go ahead and hang himself. Having said that, I can say that by the grace of God none of my students have ever lost at the barrier. On the contrary, they have always acquitted themselves honorably.<ref>If they never lost and always acquitted themselves honorably, then presumably they always either won or drew.</ref></p>
 
+
| <p>And I say that a man being well-armored for combat in the barriers, and knowing the art of combat, and having all the advantages that he can take, if he is not valiant then he will wish to hang himself. Well can I say that, for the grace of God, none of my scholars in this art have been lost—that always they remained with honor is this art.</p>
|-
+
| {{section|Page:MS XXIV 783ar.jpg|5|lbl=-}}
| <p>'''[12]''' <section begin="dagger 12"/>I am the noble weapon named the dagger who plays at very close range, and he who understands my malice and my art will also gain a good understanding of many other weapons. And since I finish my fight fiercely and quickly, there is no man who can stand against my method. Whoever witnesses my deeds of arms will see me make covers and thrusts as I move to grapple, and will see me take away the dagger by dislocating and binding arms, and against me neither weapons nor armour will be of any use<section end="dagger 12"/>.</p>
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| {{section|Page:MS M.383 1v.jpg|1v.9|lbl=-}}
| {{section|Page:MS Ludwig XV 13 09v.jpg|9v-f}}
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| {{section|Page:Getty Ms. Ludwig XV 13 01v - Fiore dei Liberi - Decorated Text Page - Google Art Project.jpg|1v.6|lbl=-}}
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| [[File:MS Ludwig XV 13 10r-a.jpg|300px|center]]
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| <p>I should also point out that the noble knights and squires to whom I showed my art of combat have been very satisfied with my teaching, and have never wanted any other instructor but me.</p>
| <p>'''[13]''' <section begin="dagger 13"/><em>After taking away your dagger, to signify my victory<br/>I hold it in my raised hand in this manner.</em>
+
| <p>Also I say that I predict that these lords, knights, and squires to whom I have demonstrated this art of combat are content with my teachings, and did not wish any other master than the aforesaid Fiore.</p>
 
+
|
<p>In my right hand I hold your dagger, and I gained it through my skill, which is so good that if you draw a dagger on me, I will take it from your hand. And I know well how to strike to finish you, no matter what advantage you might have.</p><section end="dagger 13"/>
 
 
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{{section|Page:MS M.383 1v.jpg|1v.10|lbl=-|p=1}} {{section|Page:MS M.383 2r.jpg|2r.1|lbl=2r|p=1}}
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| {{section|Page:Getty Ms. Ludwig XV 13 01v - Fiore dei Liberi - Decorated Text Page - Google Art Project.jpg|1v.7|lbl=-}}
 
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<br/><br/>
 
{{section|Page:MS Ludwig XV 13 10r.jpg|10r-a}}
 
| {{section|Page:Pisani-Dossi MS 06a.jpg|6a-a}}
 
| {{section|Page:MS Latin 11269 21r.jpg|21r-a}}
 
  
 
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| [[File:MS Ludwig XV 13 10r-b.jpg|300px|center]]
+
| <p>In addition let me just say that none of my students, including those mentioned above, have ever owned a book about the art of combat, except for Galeazzo da Mantova. And he put it well when he said that without books you cannot be either a good teacher or a good student of this art. And I can confirm it to be true, that this art is so vast that there is no one in the world with a memory large enough to be able to retain even a quarter of it. And it should also be pointed out that a man who knows no more than a quarter of the art has no right to call himself a Master.</p>
| <p>'''[14]''' <section begin="dagger 14"/><em>Because I triumph over those who fight with me,<br/>I carry torn-off broken arms as a decoration.</em>
+
| <p>Also I say that none of these scholars here named had any book about the art of combat other than Sir Galeazzo di Mantua. Well did he say that without books no one will ever be a good master nor scholar in this art. And I, Fiore, confirm it: this art is so long that there is no man in the world with such a great memory that he can hold in mind, without books, even a fourth part of this art. And I grant that not knowing more than the fourth part of this art, I would not be a master.</p>
 
 
<p>I choose to symbolize my skill with the broken arms I carry. And I do not lie when I tell you that I have broken and dislocated many arms in my life. And whoever chooses to go against my art, will find me always ready to use that art against him.</p><section end="dagger 14"/>
 
 
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| {{section|Page:MS M.383 2r.jpg|2r.2|lbl=-}}
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| {{section|Page:Getty Ms. Ludwig XV 13 01v - Fiore dei Liberi - Decorated Text Page - Google Art Project.jpg|1v.8|lbl=-}}
 
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<br/><br/>
 
{{section|Page:MS Ludwig XV 13 10r.jpg|10r-b}}
 
| {{section|Page:Pisani-Dossi MS 06a.jpg|6a-b}}
 
| {{section|Page:MS Latin 11269 21r.jpg|21r-b}}
 
  
 
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| [[File:MS Ludwig XV 13 10r-c.jpg|300px|center]]
+
| <p>Now I, Fiore, although I can read and write and draw, and although I have books about this art, and have studied it for 40 years and more, do not myself claim to be a perfect Master in this art, (although I am considered so by some of the fine noblemen who have been my students). But I will say this: if, instead of studying the Art of Armed Combat for 40 years, I had spent 40 years studying law, papal decrees,<ref>The word is decretali (Decretals). A Decretal is a Papal Constitution in letter form, i.e., a written decree from a Pope stating the Church’s legal position on a specific legal or moral issue.</ref> and medicine, then I would be ranked a Doctor in all three of these disciplines. And you should also know that in order to study the science of arms<ref>''Scientia d’Armizare'' is Fiore’s other term for his ''Arte d’Armizare''. ''Scientia'' means science or knowledge. Thus ''Scientia d’Armizare'' could translate as “Knowledge of Armed Combat” or “Science of Armed Combat.”</ref> I have endured great hardship, expended great effort and incurred great expense, all so as to be a perfect student of this art.</p>
| <p>'''[15]''' <section begin="dagger 15"/><em>Locking the arms of all opponents<br/>In such a way that none can safely extend their right hand,<br/>To show my success I carry a pair of keys in my hand.</em>
+
| <p>Thus I, Fiore, knowing how to read and to write and to draw, and having books on this art, and having studied it for 40 years and more, yet I am not a very perfect master in this art. (Though I am well-held, by the great lords that have been my students, to be a good and perfect master in this art.) And I do say that if I had studied 40 years in civil law, in canon law, and in medicine, as I have studied in the art of fencing, then I would be a doctor in those three sciences. But in this science of fencing I have had great contentions and strain and expenses just to be a good scholar (as we said of others).</p>
 
 
<p>I am the Master of the unlocking and locking of the arms of those who choose to oppose me. I will cause them great pain and suffering with my techniques of binding and dislocating. And therefore I carry these keys to signify the value of my art.</p><section end="dagger 15"/>
 
 
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| {{section|Page:MS M.383 2r.jpg|2r.3|lbl=-}}
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| {{section|Page:Getty Ms. Ludwig XV 13 01v - Fiore dei Liberi - Decorated Text Page - Google Art Project.jpg|1v.9|lbl=-}}
 
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<br/><br/><br/>
 
{{section|Page:MS Ludwig XV 13 10r.jpg|10r-c}}
 
| {{section|Page:Pisani-Dossi MS 06a.jpg|6a-c}}
 
| {{section|Page:MS Latin 11269 21r.jpg|21r-c}}
 
  
 
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| [[File:MS Ludwig XV 13 10r-d.jpg|300px|center]]
+
| <p>It’s my opinion that in this art there are few men in the world who can really call themselves Masters, and it is my goal to be remembered as one of them. To that end I have created this book all about this martial art and the things related to it, including weapons, their applications,<ref>Fiore writes ''di ferri e di tempere'' which literally means “of iron and of tempering”, i.e., hardening of steel. However, since Fiore’s manuscript clearly does not show anything about blacksmithing or how weapons are actually made, this literal translation does not serve me. Thus I changed it to “weapons and their applications”.</ref> and other aspects too.</p>
| <p>'''[16]''' <section begin="dagger 16"/><em>You ask how I force others to the ground under my feet with such prowess,<br/>I tell you that because I grapple each man and throw him down;<br/>The victory palm is appropriately held in my right hand.</em>
 
  
<p>You ask how it is that I have this man held under my feet. Thousands have suffered this fate because of my art of Abrazare. And I carry the victory palm in my right hand, because no one can stand up to my grappling skills.</p><section end="dagger 16"/>
+
<p>In doing this I have followed the instructions given to me by the nobleman I respect the most, who is greater in martial virtue than any other I know, and who is more deserving of my book because of his nobility than any other nobleman I could ever meet, namely, the illustrious and most excellent noble, the all-powerful prince, Sir NICCOLO, Marquis of Este, Lord of the noble cities of Ferrara, Modena, Reggio, Parma and others, and to whom may God grant long life and future prosperity, and victory over all of his enemies. AMEN.</p>
 +
| <p>Considering, as I said before, that in this art I could find few masters in the world, and wishing that there be made a memory of me in this art, I will put all the art (and all things that I know of iron and of temper and of other things) in a book, following that which we know how to do for the best and for the most clarity.</p>
 
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{{section|Page:MS Ludwig XV 13 10r.jpg|10r-d}}
 
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| {{section|Page:MS Latin 11269 21r.jpg|21r-d}}
 
 
|}
 
{{hidden end}}
 
 
{{hidden begin
 
| title    = <span style="font-size:120%;">1st Master</span>
 
| titlestyle= background:#f2f2f2; border:1px solid #aaaaaa; padding:10px; text-align:center; vertical-align:middle; width:60%;
 
| bodystyle = display:block; width:224em;
 
}}
 
{| class="wikitable floated master"
 
|-
 
! <p><includeonly><span style="font-weight:normal; font-size:85%;">&#91;{{edit|Fiore de'i Liberi/Dagger/1st master|edit}}&#93;</span> &nbsp; </includeonly>Images</p>
 
! <p>Images</p>
 
! <p>{{rating|B|English Translation (from the Getty and PD)}}<br/>by [[Colin Hatcher]]</p>
 
! <p>{{rating|none|English Translation (from the Paris)}}<br/>Open for editing</p>
 
! <p>[[Fior di Battaglia (MS M.383)|Morgan Transcription]]&nbsp;<span style="font-weight:normal; font-size:85%;">&#91;{{edit|Index:Fior di Battaglia (MS M.383)|edit}}&#93;</span><br/>Open for editing</p>
 
! <p>[[Fior di Battaglia (MS Ludwig XV 13)|Getty Transcription]]&nbsp;<span style="font-weight:normal; font-size:85%;">&#91;{{edit|Index:Fior di Battaglia (MS Ludwig XV 13)|edit}}&#93;</span><br/>Open for editing</p>
 
! <p>[[Flos Duellatorum (Pisani Dossi MS)|Pisani Dossi Transcription]]&nbsp;<span style="font-weight:normal; font-size:85%;">&#91;{{edit|Index:Flos Duellatorum (Pisani Dossi MS)|edit}}&#93;</span><br/>by [[Francesco Novati]]</p>
 
! <p>[[Florius de Arte Luctandi (MS Latin 11269)|Paris Transcription]]&nbsp;<span style="font-weight:normal; font-size:85%;">&#91;{{edit|Index:Florius de Arte Luctandi (MS Latin 11269)|edit}}&#93;</span><br/>by [[user:Charlélie Berthaut|Charlélie Berthaut]]</p>
 
  
 
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| [[File:Pisani-Dossi MS 5r-e.jpg|300px|center]]
+
| <p>I am going to lay out this book according to the preferences of my lord Marquis, and since I will be careful to leave nothing out, I am sure that my lord will appreciate it, due to his great nobility and courtesy.<ref>It is not clear here whether Fiore is saying he actually consulted with Niccolo Ⅲ of Este prior to the creation of the book, that Niccolo indicated how he wants the book laid out, and that Fiore has decided to lay it out exactly as Niccolo has asked for it to be done, or simply that he knows what Niccolo likes.</ref></p>
| <p>'''[17]''' <section begin="dagger 17"/><em>I am the First Master of the Dagger, full of guile,<br/>And with my left hand I will wind the dagger around your arm,<br/>And truth to tell I can make many other plays,<br/>And my students will do them cunningly.</em>
+
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+
|
<p>I am the first master and I am called Remedy, because I know how to remedy so well that you cannot harm me whereas I on the contrary can strike you and hurt you. And I cannot make a better play against you than to make your dagger go to the ground, by turning my hand to the left.</p><section end="dagger 17"/>
 
 
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<br/><br/><br/><br/>
 
{{section|Page:MS Ludwig XV 13 10v.jpg|10v-a}}
 
| {{section|Page:Pisani-Dossi MS 06a.jpg|6a-e}}
 
| {{section|Page:MS Latin 11269 21v.jpg|21v-d}}
 
  
 
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| [[File:Pisani-Dossi MS 5r-f.jpg|300px|center]]
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| <p>I will begin with grappling,<ref>I translate ''Abrazare'' or ''Abracare'' as “grappling” rather than “wrestling”, since wrestling suggests ground-fighting, and there is no ground fighting in Fiore’s system.</ref> of which there are two types: grappling for fun,<ref>The word ''solaço'' means “pleasure”. Fiore means grappling for sport. Fiore is distinguishing between fighting for fun and fighting to the death.</ref> or grappling in earnest,<ref>The expression ''da ira'' means “in anger”. Fiore is contrasting this with grappling for fun. Thus I have translated ''ira'' as “earnest”.</ref> by which I mean mortal combat, where you need to employ all the cunning, deceit<ref>Both ''ingano'' and ''falsita'' mean “deceit”. It is not clear why Fiore uses both, but any difference in these two words are lost in translation. I therefore translated ''ingano'' as “cunning” so that there were still three words as in the original.</ref> and viciousness<ref>The word ''crudelita'' means “cruelty”. I prefer the word “viciousness” here.</ref> you can muster. My focus is on mortal combat, and on showing you step by step how to gain and defend against the most common holds when you are fighting for your life.</p>
| <p>'''[18]''' <section begin="dagger 18"/><em>If I make a turn around your arm with my dagger,<br/>I will strike you in the chest, and it will not be taken from me.</em>
+
|
 
 
<p>I will turn my dagger around your arm. And because of this counter you will not be able to take the dagger from me. And also with this turn I can drive it into your chest without a doubt.</p><section end="dagger 18"/>
 
 
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| {{section|Page:Getty Ms. Ludwig XV 13 01v - Fiore dei Liberi - Decorated Text Page - Google Art Project.jpg|1v.12|lbl=-}}
 
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<br/><br/>
 
{{section|Page:MS Ludwig XV 13 10v.jpg|10v-b}}
 
| {{section|Page:Pisani-Dossi MS 06a.jpg|6a-f}}
 
 
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| <p>If you wish to grapple you should first assess whether your opponent is stronger or bigger than you, as well as whether he is much younger or older than you. You should also note whether he takes up any formal grappling guards<ref>The taking of guards would suggest he has some training and thus some skill in grappling.</ref> Make sure you consider these things first.</p>
| <p>'''[19]''' <section begin="dagger 19"/><em>With your right arm locked under my left,<br/>I can cause you much harm while keeping you trapped.</em>
+
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+
|
<p>I will lock your arm in the middle bind, and I will do it in such a way that you will not be able to give me any trouble. And if I wish to put you to the ground I will do so with little effort, and you will have no chance of escaping.</p>
 
 
 
''[In the Getty, the Scholar steps with his left foot in front of his opponent's right, not behind.]''<section end="dagger 19"/>
 
 
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<br/><br/>
 
{{section|Page:MS Ludwig XV 13 10v.jpg|10v-c}}
 
| {{section|Page:Pisani-Dossi MS 06b.jpg|6b-a}}
 
| {{section|Page:MS Latin 11269 24r.jpg|24r-a}}
 
  
 
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| [[File:Pisani-Dossi MS 5v-b.jpg|300px|center]]
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| <p>And whether you are stronger or weaker than your opponent, be sure in either case that you know how to use the grapples and binds<ref>The words are ''prese'' (“holds”, “grips” or grapples”) and ''ligadure'' (“locks” or “binds”).</ref> against him, and how to defend yourself from the grapples your opponent attacks you with.</p>
| <p>'''[20]''' <section begin="dagger 20"/><em>If you wind around my arm and try to lock it in this way,<br/>I will put you in the lower bind and this hold will make things hard for you.</em>
+
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+
|
<p>I make the counter to the play that came before me. You can see the kind of position that I have put him in. I will break his arm or quickly throw him to the ground.</p><section end="dagger 20"/>
 
 
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| {{section|Page:Getty Ms. Ludwig XV 13 01v - Fiore dei Liberi - Decorated Text Page - Google Art Project.jpg|1v.14|lbl=-}}
 
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<br/><br/>
 
{{section|Page:MS Ludwig XV 13 10v.jpg|10v-d}}
 
| {{section|Page:Pisani-Dossi MS 06b.jpg|6b-b}}
 
| {{section|Page:MS Latin 11269 24r.jpg|24r-d}}
 
  
 
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| [[File:Pisani-Dossi MS 5v-c.jpg|300px|center]]
+
| <p>If your opponent is not wearing armor, be sure to strike him in the most vulnerable and dangerous places, for example the eyes, the nose, the larynx,<ref>''inle femine sottol mento'' means literally “in the soft part below the chin”. Fiore means the throat/larynx.</ref> or the flanks.<ref>The ''fianchi'', the “flanks”, are the unprotected (“soft”) areas of the side of the torso, below the lower ribs but above the hips.</ref> And whether fighting in or out of armor, be sure that you employ grapples and binds that flow naturally together.</p>
| <p>'''[21]''' <section begin="dagger 21"/><em>If I can turn this arm of yours,<br/>I will make you suffer with a middle bind.</em>
+
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+
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<p>This is a good cover from which to take the dagger from your hand, and with this grip I will be able to bind you well. And this art is so effective that if I place my right hand under your right knee, then I will put you to the ground.</p><section end="dagger 21"/>
 
 
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{{section|Page:MS Ludwig XV 13 11r.jpg|11r-a}}
 
| {{section|Page:Pisani-Dossi MS 06b.jpg|6b-c}}
 
| {{section|Page:MS Latin 11269 24v.jpg|24v-a}}
 
  
 
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| [[File:Pisani-Dossi MS 5v-d.jpg|300px|center]]
+
| <p>In addition, to be a good grappler you need eight attributes,<ref>''ⅷ chose'' means literally “eight things”.</ref> as follows: [1] strength, [2] speed, [3] knowledge, by which I mean [3] knowing superior holds; [4] Knowing how to break  apart  arms  and  legs; [5] Knowing locks, that is how to bind the arms of a man in such a way as to render him powerless to defend himself and unable to escape; [6] Knowing how to strike to the most vulnerable points; [7] Knowing how to throw someone to the ground without danger to yourself. And finally [8] Knowing how to dislocate arms and legs in various ways.<ref>Note: attributes numbers 4 and 8 seem to be the same attribute. This is noted especially because in the earlier Pisani Dossi manuscript Fiore tells us there are {{dec|u|seven}} attributes (not eight as here in the Getty). ''Roture'' (“breaking”), ''Romper'' (“tearing apart”) and ''Dislogar'' (“dislocating”) arms and legs appear here to be duplicative.</ref></p>
| <p>'''[22]''' <section begin="dagger 22"/><em>You will not make me suffer in the middle bind<br/>When I meet you with this counter and make you let go.</em>
 
  
<p>I make the counter to the play that came before me, so that you will not be able to throw me to the ground, nor take the dagger from me, nor bind me either. You will have to let go, or else you will be quickly stabbed by my dagger.</p><section end="dagger 22"/>
+
<p>As required, I will address all of these things step by step through the text and the drawings in this book.</p>
 
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{{section|Page:MS Ludwig XV 13 11r.jpg|11r-b}}
 
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| {{section|Page:MS Latin 11269 24v.jpg|24v-d}}
 
 
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| [[File:MS Ludwig XV 13 11r-c.jpg|300px|center]]
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{{section|Page:Getty Ms. Ludwig XV 13 01v - Fiore dei Liberi - Decorated Text Page - Google Art Project.jpg|1v.16|lbl=-|p=1}} {{section|Page:Getty Ms. Ludwig XV 13 02r - Fiore dei Liberi - Decorated Text Page - Google Art Project.jpg|2r.1|lbl=2r|p=1}}
| <p>'''[23]''' <section begin="dagger 23"/>This is a play with no counter, and it is inevitable that the player will go to the ground and lose his dagger if the student performs this technique as depicted. And when the player is thrown to the ground, the student can finish him in various ways.<section end="dagger 23"/></p>
 
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| <p>Now that I have discussed some general rules for grappling, I will discuss the grappling guards. There are a variety of grappling guards, some better than others. But there are four guards that are the best whether in or out of armor, although I advise you not to wait in them for too long, due to the rapid changes that take place when you are grappling.</p>
| <p>'''[24]''' <section begin="dagger 24"/>This play is rarely used in the art of the dagger, yet it is an additional defense to know. For after beating aside the attack in this way, the scholar can then strike with a counter to the ribs or the stomach.<section end="dagger 24"/></p>
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| [[File:MS Latin 11269 43v-a.jpg|300px|center|link=http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b8514426f/f90.item]]
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| <p>The first four Masters that you will see with crowns on their heads will show you these four superior grappling guards. The first two are named “The Long Guard” and “The Boar’s Tooth” and they can be used to counter each other. The second two are named “Iron Gate” and “The Forehead Guard”,<ref>''Frontale'' means the front of the head, i.e., the forehead. Elsewhere Fiore comments that this guard is often named (by others) as ''Posta Corona'' (“The Crown Guard”), the “crown” referring to the top of the head.</ref> and they can also be used to counter each other. From these four guards, whether in or out of armor, you can do all of the eight things I listed earlier, namely holds, binds, dislocations, etc.</p>
| <p>'''[25]''' <section begin="dagger 25"/><em>I counter the First Dagger Master<br/>And I will strike your arm from above.</em>
 
  
<p>''[In the Pisani-Dossi, the Master is missing his crown.]''</p><section end="dagger 25"/>
+
<p>You will need to learn the guards of the Masters, how to distinguish the Students from the Players and the Players from the Masters, and finally the difference between the Remedy and the Counter. While a Counter will usually be presented after<ref>''Dredo'' means “Behind” but in this context it translates better as “after”, be cause we can see from the way the manuscript is laid out that the remedies are shown first, and the counters later.</ref> the Remedies are shown, sometimes there will be a special “Remedy”<ref>The “Special” Remedy that comes at the very end, that Fiore is referring to is a Counter to the Counter, which, as you will see below, Fiore calls ''Contra-contrario'' or the “Counter-counter”.</ref> that comes last of all. But let me make this clearer for you.</p>
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| {{section|Page:Getty Ms. Ludwig XV 13 02r - Fiore dei Liberi - Decorated Text Page - Google Art Project.jpg|2r.3|lbl=-}}
 
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| {{section|Page:Pisani-Dossi MS 08a.jpg|8a-a}}
 
| {{section|Page:MS Latin 11269 43v.jpg|43v-b}}
 
  
 
|-  
 
|-  
| [[File:Pisani-Dossi MS 6r-d.jpg|300px|center]]
+
|  
| [[File:MS Ludwig XV 13 11v-a.jpg|300px|center]]
+
| <p>The four guards or “posts” are easy to learn. Sometimes you’ll take a guard and face your opponent without making contact, waiting to see what your opponent will do. These are called the posts or guards of the first Masters of Battle.<ref>Literally “Masters of the Battle” or “Masters of the Fight”.</ref> And these masters wear a golden crown on their head, to signify that the guards they wait in provide them with a superior defense. And these four guards are best suited to apply the principles of my art of armed fighting, which is why these Masters choose to wait in these particular guards.</p>
| <p>'''[26]''' <section begin="dagger 26"/><em>This bind is easy for me to do<br/>And from it I will be able to strike you in the back.</em>
+
|
 
 
<p>I am a counter to the First Dagger Remedy Master. Woe to he who remedies with techniques that allow his left hand to be seized. And from this hold I will be able to drive the dagger into his back.</p>
 
 
 
''[These two images seem to show the beginning and end of the technique.]''<section end="dagger 26"/>
 
 
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 +
| {{section|Page:Getty Ms. Ludwig XV 13 02r - Fiore dei Liberi - Decorated Text Page - Google Art Project.jpg|2r.4|lbl=-}}
 
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<br/><br/>
 
{{section|Page:MS Ludwig XV 13 11v.jpg|11v-a}}
 
| {{section|Page:Pisani-Dossi MS 08a.jpg|8a-d}}
 
 
|  
 
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|-  
 
|-  
 
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| [[File:Pisani-Dossi MS 6r-e.jpg|300px|center]]
+
| <p>Whether you call it a “post” or a “guard”, you are referring to the same stance. As a “guard” it is used defensively, that is you use it to protect yourself and defend yourself from the strikes of your opponent. As a “post” it is used offensively, that is, you use it to position yourself in such a way in relation to your opponent that you can attack him without danger to yourself.</p>
| <p>'''[27]''' <section begin="dagger 27"/><em>I make the counter-counter to the First Master,<br/>For the counter-counter is a fine master.</em><section end="dagger 27"/></p>
+
|
 
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| {{section|Page:Getty Ms. Ludwig XV 13 02r - Fiore dei Liberi - Decorated Text Page - Google Art Project.jpg|2r.5|lbl=-}}
 
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| {{section|Page:Pisani-Dossi MS 08a.jpg|8a-e}}
 
 
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| [[File:Pisani-Dossi MS 6r-f.jpg|300px|center]]
+
| <p>The next Master who follows the four guards comes to respond to these guards and to defend himself against a Player who makes attacks that flow from the four beginning guards shown earlier. And this Master also wears a crown, but he is named the Second Master of Battle.<ref>Fiore just calls him the “Second Master”, but Fiore means by this that he is the Second Master of Battle.</ref> He is also known as the Remedy Master, because he carefully selects his response to attacks flowing from the posts referred to above, and makes remedies that prevent him from getting struck.</p>
| <p>'''[28]''' <section begin="dagger 28"/><em>I make the counter-counter against the First Master,<br/>And I will be first to take away the dagger every time.</em><section end="dagger 28"/></p>
+
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| {{section|Page:Getty Ms. Ludwig XV 13 02r - Fiore dei Liberi - Decorated Text Page - Google Art Project.jpg|2r.6|lbl=-}}
 
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| {{section|Page:Pisani-Dossi MS 08a.jpg|8a-f}}
 
 
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|-  
 
|-  
 
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| [[File:Pisani-Dossi MS 6r-b.jpg|300px|center]]
+
| <p>This second or Remedy Master has a group of Students<ref>Fiore here calls them ''Zugadori'' (Players) rather than ''Scolari'' (Students), but that is confusing, because the way the manuscript is visually structured, the students of the Remedy Master who wear the golden garter are named ''Scolari'' (Students), not ''Zugadori'' (Players). The ''Zugadori'' are drawn without any garter at all. Therefore here I translate ''zugadori'' as Students (''Scolari''), so as to be consistent with what is drawn.</ref> under him, who demonstrate the plays taught by the Remedy Master that follow the cover or grapple that he shows first as his remedy. And these Students wear a garter<ref>''Divisa'' means literally “device” but also refers to a uniform or insignia that marks a person's rank or position. I have chosen to translate the word ''divisa'' as “garter”. In the PD, Fiore refers to the golden ribbon worn around one leg by the Students as a ''lista doro''. A ''lista'' is a strip of material, like a ribbon, garter or scarf. ''Doro'' means ''D’oro'' -  “of gold.”</ref> under their knee, to identify themselves. These Students will demonstrate all the remedies of the Remedy Master, until a third Master of Battle appears, who will show the Counters to the Remedy Master and his Students.</p>
| <p>'''[29]''' <section begin="dagger 29"/><em>I make the counter to the First Master<br/>With this cover I will hurt him and worse.</em>
+
|
 
+
|
<p>I am also the counter of the First Dagger Remedy Master, and when his student grips me like this [10], I will strike him, and make him let go. And if he tries to do other plays against me, I will counter him without hesitation.</p><section end="dagger 29"/>
 
 
|  
 
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 +
| {{section|Page:Getty Ms. Ludwig XV 13 02r - Fiore dei Liberi - Decorated Text Page - Google Art Project.jpg|2r.7|lbl=-}}
 
|  
 
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|  
<br/><br/>
 
{{section|Page:MS Ludwig XV 13 11v.jpg|11v-b}}
 
| {{section|Page:Pisani-Dossi MS 08a.jpg|8a-b}}
 
| {{section|Page:MS Latin 11269 43r.jpg|43r-d}}
 
  
 
|-  
 
|-  
 
|  
 
|  
| [[File:Pisani-Dossi MS 6r-c.jpg|300px|center]]
+
| <p>And because he can defeat the Remedy Master and his students, this Third Master wears both the symbol of the Remedy Master—a golden crown, and the symbol of his students—a golden garter below the knee. And this King is named the Third Master of Battle, and he is also named the Counter Master, because he makes counters to the Remedy Master and his students.<ref>Fiore actually writes “The Remedy Master and his plays, but since the Counter Master also defects the Remedy Master’s students, who show all the plays, I decided to translate it as above.</ref></p>
| <p>'''[30]''' <section begin="dagger 30"/><em>In the previous counter I told you that you could hurt him and worse;<br/>Here I show you how this can be done.</em>
+
|
 
 
<p>This flows from the counter referred to in the previous play. It also flows from the counter referred to two plays back [10], where the Counter Remedy Master has trapped the hand of his opponent with his dagger, and where he told you that he can drive the dagger into his opponent’s back. My play comes from that play, but where he says you drive the dagger into your opponent’s back, I drive it into his chest. But this still flows from the previous play, even though I choose to finish it differently.</p>
 
 
 
''[In the Getty, the Master's right foot is outside (in front) of his opponent's left foot.]''<section end="dagger 30"/>
 
 
|  
 
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 +
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 +
| {{section|Page:Getty Ms. Ludwig XV 13 02r - Fiore dei Liberi - Decorated Text Page - Google Art Project.jpg|2r.8|lbl=-}}
 
|  
 
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|  
<br/><br/>
 
{{section|Page:MS Ludwig XV 13 11v.jpg|11v-c}}
 
| {{section|Page:Pisani-Dossi MS 08a.jpg|8a-c}}
 
| {{section|Page:MS Latin 11269 43v.jpg|43v-d}}
 
  
 
|-  
 
|-  
| [[File:MS Latin 11269 25r-a.jpg|300px|center|link=http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b8514426f/f53.item]]
 
| [[File:Pisani-Dossi MS 5v-e.jpg|300px|center]]
 
| <p>'''[31]''' <section begin="dagger 31"/><em>I am well placed and positioned to force you to the ground;<br/>If you do not know the counter, I will throw you down immediately.</em>
 
 
<p>I am the student of the first Master of [Dagger] Remedies. And with this grip I seek to take your dagger and bind your arm, and since I do not believe that you know how to counter me, I will do this to you without delay.</p>
 
 
''[The Getty resembles the Paris. These two images seem to show progressive stages of the technique.]''<section end="dagger 31"/>
 
 
|  
 
|  
 +
| <p>Finally let me tell you that in a few sections of this Art we will find a Fourth Master (or King) who can defeat the Third Master of Battle (the Counter to the Remedy). And this King, the Fourth Master, is named the Fourth Master of Battle. He is also known as the Counter-Counter Master. Be aware however that in this Art few plays will ever go past the Third Master of Battle, for to do so is very risky. But enough about this.</p>
 +
|
 +
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 +
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 +
| {{section|Page:Getty Ms. Ludwig XV 13 02r - Fiore dei Liberi - Decorated Text Page - Google Art Project.jpg|2r.9|lbl=-}}
 
|  
 
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|  
<br/><br/>
 
{{section|Page:MS Ludwig XV 13 11v.jpg|11v-d}}
 
| {{section|Page:Pisani-Dossi MS 06b.jpg|6b-e}}
 
| {{section|Page:MS Latin 11269 25r.jpg|25r-a}}
 
  
 
|-  
 
|-  
 
|  
 
|  
| [[File:Pisani-Dossi MS 5v-f.jpg|300px|center]]
+
| <p>As I have explained above, the guards of the Abrazare (shown by the First Master of Battle), the Second Master of Battle (the Remedy Master) and his Students, the Third Master of Battle (the Counter Remedy, that is the counter to the Second Master of Battle and his Students), and the Fourth Master of Battle (named the Counter-counter Master), represent the foundation of my Art of Grappling whether in and out of armor. Furthermore, these four Masters of Battle and their Students are also the foundation of the Art of the Spear, which has its own guards, Masters and Students. The same is true for the Art of the Pole-axe, the Sword in One Hand, the Sword in Two Hands and the Dagger.</p>
| <p>'''[32]''' <section begin="dagger 32"/><em>I make the counter like this,<br/>And I know well how to strike you from here.</em>
+
|
 
+
|
<p>I counter you like this, so that you will neither take my dagger nor bind my arm, and my dagger and I will remain at liberty. And then I will be able to strike you when you let go of me in such a way that you will have no defense.</p><section end="dagger 32"/>
 
 
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 +
| {{section|Page:Getty Ms. Ludwig XV 13 02r - Fiore dei Liberi - Decorated Text Page - Google Art Project.jpg|2r.10|lbl=-}}
 
|  
 
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|  
<br/><br/>
 
{{section|Page:MS Ludwig XV 13 12r.jpg|12r-a}}
 
| {{section|Page:Pisani-Dossi MS 06b.jpg|6b-f}}
 
| {{section|Page:MS Latin 11269 25r.jpg|25r-d}}
 
  
 
|-  
 
|-  
 
|  
 
|  
| [[File:Pisani-Dossi MS 6v-a.jpg|300px|center]]
+
| <p> In summary, these Masters of Battle and their Students, identified by their various devices, although first presented as governing principles of my Art of Grappling, are actually the foundation of my entire Art of Armed Fighting, whether on foot or on horseback, and whether in or out of armor.<ref>I’ve rearranged the sentences here to make my translation clearer. Thus the red and blue letters in the original don’t match up at all in my translation.</ref></p>
| <p>'''[33]''' <section begin="dagger 33"/><em>To make a much stronger cover I cross my arms in this manner;<br/>And from here I can do all the previous remedies.</em>
+
|
 
+
|
<p>This cover is known to be much stronger and I make it so as to be able to obstruct you with various plays. And you cannot overcome such a strong cover, because two arms can easily oppose one arm.</p><section end="dagger 33"/>
 
 
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 +
| {{section|Page:Getty Ms. Ludwig XV 13 02r - Fiore dei Liberi - Decorated Text Page - Google Art Project.jpg|2r.11|lbl=-}}
 
|  
 
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|  
<br/><br/>
 
{{section|Page:MS Ludwig XV 13 12r.jpg|12r-b}}
 
| {{section|Page:Pisani-Dossi MS 07a.jpg|7a-a}}
 
| {{section|Page:MS Latin 11269 25v.jpg|25v-a}}
 
  
 
|-  
 
|-  
 
|  
 
|  
| [[File:Pisani-Dossi MS 6v-b.jpg|300px|center]]
+
| <p>And my purpose in structuring my art in this way is to make my system<ref>Fiore actually says ''libro'' (“book”), but I’ve changed it to “system”.</ref> easier to learn, by using the same principles of the guards, the Master, the Remedy and the Counter throughout it, just as you see first in the section on Grappling.</p>
| <p>'''[34]''' <section begin="dagger 34"/><em>With this counter the previous cover will meet with failure;<br/>After I have made you turn I will strike you with my dagger.</em>
+
|
 
 
<p>This is the counter to the cover that came before, that I told you was much stronger. And I will turn him with my left hand. Having turned him, I will not fail to strike him.</p><section end="dagger 34"/>
 
 
|  
 
|  
 +
|
 +
| {{section|Page:Getty Ms. Ludwig XV 13 02r - Fiore dei Liberi - Decorated Text Page - Google Art Project.jpg|2r.12|lbl=-}}
 
|  
 
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|  
<br/><br/>
 
{{section|Page:MS Ludwig XV 13 12r.jpg|12r-c}}
 
| {{section|Page:Pisani-Dossi MS 07a.jpg|7a-b}}
 
| {{section|Page:MS Latin 11269 25v.jpg|25v-d}}
 
  
 
|-  
 
|-  
 
|  
 
|  
| [[File:Pisani-Dossi MS 6v-c.jpg|300px|center]]
+
| <p>And the text,<ref>The word ''Rubriche'' means writing in red ink. I chose to translate this word simply as “text”.</ref> the drawings and the plays will so clearly show you my art, that you will have no trouble understanding it.</p>
| <p>'''[35]''' <section begin="dagger 35"/><em>Since my Master’s technique will not fail me,<br/>I will break your arm over my shoulder.</em>
+
|
 
+
|
<p>With this excellent presa that I have made against you, I will not fail to break your arm over my left shoulder. And afterwards I can strike you with your own dagger, since this play will not fail me.</p><section end="dagger 35"/>
 
 
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 +
| {{section|Page:Getty Ms. Ludwig XV 13 02r - Fiore dei Liberi - Decorated Text Page - Google Art Project.jpg|2r.13|lbl=-}}
 
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<br/><br/>
 
{{section|Page:MS Ludwig XV 13 12r.jpg|12r-d}}
 
| {{section|Page:Pisani-Dossi MS 07a.jpg|7a-c}}
 
| {{section|Page:MS Latin 11269 23r.jpg|23r-a}}
 
  
 
|-  
 
|-  
 
|  
 
|  
| [[File:Pisani-Dossi MS 6v-d.jpg|300px|center]]
+
| <p>Now let’s move on to study the actual drawings, the plays and the text, and you will see that I have spoken truly.</p>
| <p>'''[36]''' <section begin="dagger 36"/><em>You will not break my arm over your shoulder,<br/>For with my counter I will throw you to the ground.</em>
+
|
 
 
<p>I make this counter to you who in the previous play intended to break my arm over your shoulder. I will throw you to the ground to your death with great force and you will cause me no further injury.</p><section end="dagger 36"/>
 
 
|  
 
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 +
| {{section|Page:Getty Ms. Ludwig XV 13 02r - Fiore dei Liberi - Decorated Text Page - Google Art Project.jpg|2r.14|lbl=-}}
 
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<br/><br/>
 
{{section|Page:MS Ludwig XV 13 12v.jpg|12v-a}}
 
| {{section|Page:Pisani-Dossi MS 07a.jpg|7a-d}}
 
 
|  
 
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|-  
 
|-  
 
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| [[File:Pisani-Dossi MS 6v-e.jpg|300px|center]]
+
|  
| <p>'''[37]''' <section begin="dagger 37"/><em>Your dagger will quickly be taken from you,<br/>When I twist it upwards close by your elbow.</em>
+
| <p>We commence this book following my intellect, in such a way that anyone can know to understand easily. And we make comparison of five things. That is, 1) of masters that stand in guard, and 2) of masters (and of masters) that are remedy, and 3) of scholars, and 4) of players, and 5) of contraries to masters and to scholars. The masters stand in positions, that is, guards—that which are called both positions and guards. Positions are called such because they position one, and guards are called such because they guard one from an enemy, and as such, they are called positions and guards for their strength, that poorly will one be able to break the positions on purpose without coming to danger.</p>
 
+
|
<p>I am in a good position to take the dagger from your hand, and to do it I push the point upwards, close to your elbow. And you will lose it, and I will quickly strike you with it. I took the dagger in this way because I was not able to bend your arm.</p><section end="dagger 37"/>
+
| {{section|Page:MS M.383 2r.jpg|2r.5|lbl=-}}
 
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<br/><br/>
 
{{section|Page:MS Ludwig XV 13 12v.jpg|12v-b}}
 
| {{section|Page:Pisani-Dossi MS 07a.jpg|7a-e}}
 
| {{section|Page:MS Latin 11269 23r.jpg|23r-c}}
 
  
 
|-  
 
|-  
 
|  
 
|  
| [[File:Pisani-Dossi MS 6v-f.jpg|300px|center]]
 
| <p>'''[38]''' <section begin="dagger 38"/><em>My dagger will not be taken by your turning it,<br/>And I will strike you with it without fail.</em>
 
 
<p>I make the counter of the play that came before, so that you will not be able to take my dagger in that way. I will press my dagger into your hand, to make you let go, and with the cruel point I will strike you for your trouble.</p><section end="dagger 38"/>
 
 
|  
 
|  
 +
| <p>The masters that stand in guard stand one against the other without touching one weapon against the other, and here the masters will bear crowns on their heads. The other crowned masters that will be after them also bear crowns, and they are called Masters Remedy. Those that here play with these masters and with their scholars are called players. And the scholars of these Masters Remedy bear a device under the knee, and initiate the cover and holds following what the Master Remedy does, and doing such plays that the Master Remedy knows how to do. At the end will be found the counter of the Master Remedy and of his scholars. And this counter bears a crown on his head and a device under the knee because he is the counter of the Master and of the scholars, and as such he bears the devices of both the Master Remedy and all his scholars. In some plays the counter will be found immediately after the remedy, and in some plays the counter will be found after all the plays of the Master Remedy. Know that here the counter which is made to the Master Remedy, that the counter breaks all of the plays of that cover or grip that he makes. In the following, you will find them well-depicted and -written so that can be easily understood.</p>
 +
|
 +
| {{section|Page:MS M.383 2r.jpg|2r.6|lbl=-}}
 
|  
 
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<br/><br/>
 
{{section|Page:MS Ludwig XV 13 12v.jpg|12v-c}}
 
| {{section|Page:Pisani-Dossi MS 07a.jpg|7a-f}}
 
 
|  
 
|  
  
 
|-  
 
|-  
|  
+
| class="noline" |  
| [[File:Pisani-Dossi MS 7r-a.jpg|300px|center]]
+
| class="noline" |  
| <p>'''[39]''' <section begin="dagger 39"/><em>I will have no problem making you fall to the ground,<br/>But you will have a major problem trying to get up.</em>
+
| class="noline" | <p>And we will commence first on horse with lance and with sword and with wrestling. And afterward with lance on foot, and then with sword in armor, and with sword in two hands in wide and narrow plays. Then the play of the axe, and then certain special matches, and then sword in one hand, and finally wrestling on foot and the play of the dagger.</p>
  
<p>In this way you will be driven into the ground, and you will not be able to make any defense or counter. And I will quickly make the dagger that you hold in your hand go far from you, because of my skillful knowledge of this art.</p>
+
<p>And in this way you can see all the art of fencing in this book, that cannot ever fail you, so well-worded are the explanations about the depicted figures.</p>
 +
| class="noline" |
 +
| class="noline" | {{section|Page:MS M.383 2r.jpg|2r.7|lbl=-}}
 +
| class="noline" |
 +
| class="noline" |
 +
| class="noline" |
  
''[In the Getty and Paris, the Scholar steps outside of his opponent's right leg.]''<section end="dagger 39"/>
+
|}
|  
+
{{master subsection end}}
|  
+
 
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{{master subsection begin
<br/><br/>
+
| title = Latin Preface
{{section|Page:MS Ludwig XV 13 12v.jpg|12v-d}}
+
| width = 240em
| {{section|Page:Pisani-Dossi MS 07b.jpg|7b-a}}
+
}}
| {{section|Page:MS Latin 11269 23v.jpg|23v-a}}
+
{| class="master"
 +
|-
 +
! <p>Illustrations</p>
 +
! <p>{{rating|C|Draft Translation (from the Pisani Dossi)}}<br/>by [[Michael Chidester]]</p>
 +
! <p>[Paris does not contain Preface]</p>
 +
! <p>[[Fior di Battaglia (MS XXIV)|San Daniele del Friuli Version]] (1699){{edit index| Fior di Battaglia (MS XXIV)}}<br/>Transcribed by [[Michael Chidester]]</p>
 +
! <p>[[Tratt‍ato della sch‍erma (MS M.383)|Morgan Version]] (1400s){{edit index|Tratt‍ato della sch‍erma (MS M.383)}}<br/>Transcribed by [[Michael Chidester]]</p>
 +
! <p>[[Fior di Battaglia (MS Ludwig XV 13)|Getty Version]] (1400s){{edit index|Fior di Battaglia (MS Ludwig XV 13)}}<br/>Transcribed by [[Michael Chidester]]</p>
 +
! <p>[[Flos Duellatorum (Pisani Dossi MS)|Pisani Dossi Version]] (1409){{edit index|Flos Duellatorum (Pisani Dossi MS)}}<br/>Transcribed by [[Michael Chidester]]</p>
 +
! <p>[[Florius de Arte Luctandi (MS Latin 11269)|Paris Version]] (1420s){{edit index|Florius de Arte Luctandi (MS Latin 11269)}}<br/>Transcribed by [[Kendra Brown]] and [[Rebecca Garber]]</p>
  
 
|-  
 
|-  
 +
| rowspan="3" | [[file:Pisani-Dossi MS 01r.jpg|400px|center]]
 +
| <p><ref>This was translated from an Italian translation of the Latin, and needs to be checked against the original language to be promoted to B-class.</ref>''Here begins a book on dueling and combat, and it is called the Flower of Battles armed and unarmed, on horse and on foot, composed by me, Fiore de'i Liberi of Cividale de Austria, in the diocese of Aquileia, born of Sir Benedetto of the noble ancestry of the Liberi.''</p>
 
|  
 
|  
| [[File:MS Ludwig XV 13 13r-a.jpg|300px|center]]
 
| <p>'''[40]''' <section begin="dagger 40"/><em>I do not want to fall to the ground with the previous play,<br/>So with this grip I will take away all of your strength.</em>
 
 
<p>What you plan to do cannot always be done. I am the counter of the scholar who came before, and this counter will make him look very foolish, because in this way I will make him let go my leg. And I will drive the dagger into his face to demonstrate that he is indeed a great fool.</p><section end="dagger 40"/>
 
 
''[In the Pisani-Dossi, the Master is missing his crown.]''
 
 
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<br/><br/>
+
| {{section|Page:Pisani-Dossi MS 02a.jpg|2a.1|lbl=2a}}
{{section|Page:MS Ludwig XV 13 13r.jpg|13r-a}}
 
| {{section|Page:Pisani-Dossi MS 07b.jpg|7b-b}}
 
 
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|}
 
{{hidden end}}
 
 
{{hidden begin
 
| title    = <span style="font-size:120%;">2nd Master</span>
 
| titlestyle= background:#f2f2f2; border:1px solid #aaaaaa; padding:10px; text-align:center; vertical-align:middle; width:60%;
 
| bodystyle = display:block; width:224em;
 
}}
 
{{:Fiore de'i Liberi/Dagger/2nd master}}
 
{{hidden end}}
 
 
{{hidden begin
 
| title    = <span style="font-size:120%;">3rd Master</span>
 
| titlestyle= background:#f2f2f2; border:1px solid #aaaaaa; padding:10px; text-align:center; vertical-align:middle; width:60%;
 
| bodystyle = display:block; width:224em;
 
}}
 
{| class="wikitable floated master"
 
|-
 
! <p>Images</p>
 
! <p>Images</p>
 
! <p>{{rating|B|English Translation (from the Getty and PD)}}<br/>by [[Colin Hatcher]]</p>
 
! <p>{{rating|none|English Translation (from the Paris)}}<br/>Open for editing</p>
 
! <p>[[Fior di Battaglia (MS M.383)|Morgan Transcription]]&nbsp;<span style="font-weight:normal; font-size:85%;">&#91;[[Index:Fior di Battaglia (MS M.383)|edit]]&#93;</span><br/>Open for editing</p>
 
! <p>[[Fior di Battaglia (MS Ludwig XV 13)|Getty Transcription]]&nbsp;<span style="font-weight:normal; font-size:85%;">&#91;[[Index:Fior di Battaglia (MS Ludwig XV 13)|edit]]&#93;</span><br/>Open for editing</p>
 
! <p>[[Flos Duellatorum (Pisani Dossi MS)|Pisani Dossi Transcription]]&nbsp;<span style="font-weight:normal; font-size:85%;">&#91;[[Index:Flos Duellatorum (Pisani Dossi MS)|edit]]&#93;</span><br/>by [[Francesco Novati]]</p>
 
! <p>[[Florius de Arte Luctandi (MS Latin 11269)|Paris Transcription]]&nbsp;<span style="font-weight:normal; font-size:85%;">&#91;[[Index:Florius de Arte Luctandi (MS Latin 11269)|edit]]&#93;</span><br/>by [[user:Charlélie Berthaut|Charlélie Berthaut]]</p>
 
  
 
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 +
| <p>Fiore Friulano de'i Liberi of Cividale de Austria in the diocese of Aquileia, son of Sir Benedetto, wishes health in the name of the Lord and a prosperous realization of their desires to all who want to learn the play of arms on foot or on horse.
 +
</p>
 
|  
 
|  
| [[File:Pisani-Dossi MS 7v-a.jpg|300px|center]]
 
| <p>'''[45]''' <section begin="dagger 45"/><em>Here begin the powerful plays of the backhand attack,<br/>Through which many have been killed.<br/>And the plays of my scholars will follow,<br/>And so we begin the defense to the backhand attack.</em><section end="dagger 45"/></p>
 
 
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| {{section|Page:Pisani-Dossi MS 08b.jpg|8b-a}}
+
| {{section|Page:Pisani-Dossi MS 02a.jpg|2a.2|lbl=-}}
 
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 +
| <p>Being inclined from my early youth to warlike actions by a natural appetite, I applied myself very diligently with the passing years to my desire to comprehend the many abilities of this art, such as with the sword, the lance, the dagger—and no less the play of grappling—on foot or on horse.</p>
 
|  
 
|  
| [[File:Pisani-Dossi MS 7v-b.jpg|300px|center]]
 
| <p>'''[46]''' <section begin="dagger 46"/><em>With this play of the Master, your dagger will be taken<br/>And I will strike you a mortal blow.</em><section end="dagger 46"/></p>
 
 
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| {{section|Page:Pisani-Dossi MS 08b.jpg|8b-b}}
+
| {{section|Page:Pisani-Dossi MS 02a.jpg|2a.3|lbl=-}}
 
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| [[File:Pisani-Dossi MS 7v-c.jpg|300px|center]]
+
| <p>All of which, thanks to God, I have received knowledge of through various examples of expert masters and the doctrines of Italians and Germans, and above all from Master Johane, called “Suveno”, who was a student of Nicholai of Toblem in the Mexinensis diocese, and also from many princes, dukes, marquises, counts, and from countless others in diverse places and provinces.</p>
| <p>'''[47]''' <section begin="dagger 47"/><em>Here I believe I will throw you to the ground.<br/>First I will do this to you, and then I will do worse to you.</em>
+
|
 
+
|
Here begin the plays of the reverse strikes, through which countless men have lost their lives. And the plays of my scholars will follow, demonstrating the cover made with the right hand. This play depicted is easy to do, and in this way I will throw this man into the ground.
 
 
 
''[In the Getty and Paris, this Scholar is the Master.]''<section end="dagger 47"/>
 
 
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 +
| {{section|Page:Pisani-Dossi MS 02a.jpg|2a.4|lbl=-}}
 
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<br/><br/>
 
{{section|Page:MS Ludwig XV 13 13v.jpg|13v-b}}
 
| {{section|Page:Pisani-Dossi MS 08b.jpg|8b-c}}
 
| {{section|Page:MS Latin 11269 22r.jpg|22r-c}}
 
  
 
|-  
 
|-  
 
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| [[File:Pisani-Dossi MS 7v-d.jpg|300px|center]]
+
| <p>Even so, my desire for this exercise declining, and so that so much military experience (which furnishes a most valid sustenance to expert men in warfare or in any other tumult)  be not lost negligently, I have decided to compose a book regarding the most useful elements of this splendid art, putting in it various figures with examples, by which methods of attack and defense and parries can an astute person be served in fencing or pugilism.</p>
| <p>'''[48]''' <section begin="dagger 48"/><em>You will go to the ground because of your lack of knowledge,<br/>And in armour this is a particularly safe throw.</em></p>
+
|
 
 
<p>With this method you will be driven into the ground. And I could not make a safer throw, being armoured. But even without armour, there is nothing you can do. And even if you were strong and powerful, I would still be able to do this to you.</p><section end="dagger 48"/>
 
 
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<br/><br/>
+
| {{section|Page:Pisani-Dossi MS 02a.jpg|2a.5|lbl=-}}
{{section|Page:MS Ludwig XV 13 13v.jpg|13v-c}}
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|  
| {{section|Page:Pisani-Dossi MS 08b.jpg|8b-d}}
 
| {{section|Page:MS Latin 11269 22v.jpg|22v-a}}
 
  
 
|-  
 
|-  
 
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|  
| [[File:Pisani-Dossi MS 7v-e.jpg|300px|center]]
+
| <p>Every man of generous soul loves and conceals this work of ours as though it were a treasure, and therefore does not divulge it in any way among the country folk (which, in fact, Heaven created of obtuse sense and inadequate of agility, to carry loads like beasts of burden). Therefore, I decree that they should reject those for this precious arcana, and on the contrary they should invite kings, dukes, princes, and barons, and also men of court and others of high ability in the duel, following that which said "It is not meet that the Imperial Majesty be decorated in arms alone", etc.<ref>The full statement, as given by [[Philippo di Vadi]], is "It is not meet that the Imperial Majesty be honored in arms alone, but it is necessary also that it be armored in sacred laws". (''El non bixogna solo la maestà inperiale essere honorata di arme ma ancora è necesario epsa sia armata de le sacre legge.'')</ref></p>
| <p>'''[49]''' <section begin="dagger 49"/><em>This leads to a broken ruined arm,<br/>As you will find out when I have you in this hold.</em></p>
+
|
 
+
|
<p>You will go to the ground and your arm will be dislocated by the skill of my crowned Master. And there is not one counter that you can do to me, for I hold you like this and will make you suffer greatly.</p><section end="dagger 49"/>
+
|
 
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 +
{{section|Page:Pisani-Dossi MS 02a.jpg|2a.6|lbl=-|p=1}} {{section|Page:Pisani-Dossi MS 02a.jpg|2a.7|lbl=-|p=1}}
 
|  
 
|  
<br/><br/>
 
{{section|Page:MS Ludwig XV 13 13v.jpg|13v-d}}
 
| {{section|Page:Pisani-Dossi MS 08b.jpg|8b-e}}
 
| {{section|Page:MS Latin 11269 22v.jpg|22v-c}}
 
  
 
|-  
 
|-  
 
|  
 
|  
| [[File:Pisani-Dossi MS 7v-f.jpg|300px|center]]
+
| <p>And so that no one believes that in the present volume there be some false thing or error, I have eliminated the ambiguities and I have described only things that I have seen or which were discovered and tested by me. Accordingly, we begin to explain our purpose with the help of the Omnipotent, whose Name be blessed and praised through the centuries. Amen.</p>
| <p>'''[50]''' <section begin="dagger 50"/><em>I will have no trouble dislocating your arm<br/>And I will easily take your dagger from you.</em><section end="dagger 50"/></p>
+
|
 
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|  
| {{section|Page:Pisani-Dossi MS 08b.jpg|8b-f}}
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| {{section|Page:Pisani-Dossi MS 02a.jpg|2a.8|lbl=-}}
 
|  
 
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|-  
 
|-  
 +
| class="noline" |
 +
| class="noline" | <p><em>If you want to learn the deeds of arms, my friend,<br/>See that you bear all that that this poem teaches.<br/>Be audacious in violence and young at heart.<br/>Have no fear in your mind, only then can you perform.<br/>Take the woman as an example: fearful,<br/>Taken by panic, never will she face the naked sword.<br/>Thus, a frightened man, like a woman, cannot prevail.<br/>If your heart lacks audacity, everything else is wanting;<br/>Audacity and virtue: of such consists the art.</em></p>
 +
| class="noline" |
 +
| class="noline" |
 +
| class="noline" |
 +
| class="noline" |
 +
| class="noline" | {{section|Page:Pisani-Dossi MS 02b.jpg|2b.15|lbl=2b}}
 +
| class="noline" |
 +
 +
|}
 +
{{master subsection end}}
 +
 +
{{master subsection begin
 +
| title = Second Italian Preface
 +
| width = 240em
 +
}}
 +
{| class="master"
 +
|-
 +
! <p>Illustrations</p>
 +
! <p>{{rating|B|Completed Translation (from the Pisani Dossi)}}<br/>by [[Michael Chidester]]</p>
 +
! <p>[Paris does not contain Preface]</p>
 +
! <p>[[Fior di Battaglia (MS XXIV)|San Daniele del Friuli Version]] (1699){{edit index| Fior di Battaglia (MS XXIV)}}<br/>Transcribed by [[Michael Chidester]]</p>
 +
! <p>[[Tratt‍ato della sch‍erma (MS M.383)|Morgan Version]] (1400s){{edit index|Tratt‍ato della sch‍erma (MS M.383)}}<br/>Transcribed by [[Michael Chidester]]</p>
 +
! <p>[[Fior di Battaglia (MS Ludwig XV 13)|Getty Version]] (1400s){{edit index|Fior di Battaglia (MS Ludwig XV 13)}}<br/>Transcribed by [[Michael Chidester]]</p>
 +
! <p>[[Flos Duellatorum (Pisani Dossi MS)|Pisani Dossi Version]] (1409){{edit index|Flos Duellatorum (Pisani Dossi MS)}}<br/>Transcribed by [[Michael Chidester]]</p>
 +
! <p>[[Florius de Arte Luctandi (MS Latin 11269)|Paris Version]] (1420s){{edit index|Florius de Arte Luctandi (MS Latin 11269)}}<br/>Transcribed by [[Kendra Brown]] and [[Rebecca Garber]]</p>
 +
 +
|-
 +
| rowspan="2" | [[File:MS M.383 1r.png|400px|center]]
 +
| <p>'''Other Prologue'''</p>
 +
 +
<p>On the 10th day of the month of February in 1409, I, Fiore Friulano de'i Liberi of Cividale de Austria, who am son of Sir Benedetto of the house of the Liberi of Premariacco, begin this gloss, the which treats in facts of fencing and of hand-to-hand combat—that is, lance, axe, sword, and dagger, and grappling, on foot and on horse, in armor and without armor, and of other things that pertain to fencing. And we will make the remedy and the counter for all these things so that one follows the other.</p>
 +
|
 
|  
 
|  
| [[File:Pisani-Dossi MS 8r-a.jpg|300px|center]]
 
| <p>'''[51]''' <section begin="dagger 51"/><em>This is another powerful dislocation<br/>From which I will be able to kill you with your own dagger.</em></p>
 
 
<p>This is a lock that has no counter and no defense. And in this way I can take your dagger, and it will be no trouble to bind or dislocate your arm. You will not be able to get away without my permission. And I can ruin your arm if I choose.</p><section end="dagger 51"/>
 
 
|  
 
|  
 
|  
 
|  
 +
| {{section|Page:Pisani-Dossi MS 02a.jpg|2a.9|lbl=2a}}
 
|  
 
|  
<br/><br/>
 
{{section|Page:MS Ludwig XV 13 14r.jpg|14r-a}}
 
| {{section|Page:Pisani-Dossi MS 09a.jpg|9a-a}}
 
| {{section|Page:MS Latin 11269 31r.jpg|31r-a}}
 
  
 
|-  
 
|-  
 +
| <p>And this present gloss will recite all our knowledge and our understanding of all that we have experienced from many masters and scholars and fencers, and from dukes, princes, marquises, counts, knights, and squires, and from countless other men of diverse provinces, and also things that we discovered ourself. There will also be guards of all weapons, and plays, and covers, and strikes, and holds, and binds, and breaks, and dislocations of arms and legs, and torsions and lesions—in the most perilous places—following that which the master of this art wishes.</p>
 +
 +
<p>So poorly can one keep in mind without books and writing this large art that there will never be a good student without books. How, then, could there be a good master? I, the aforementioned Fiore, have seen a thousand men calling themselves masters, though not four among them were good students, and of those four none would be a good teacher.</p>
 
|  
 
|  
| [[File:Pisani-Dossi MS 8r-b.jpg|300px|center]]
 
| <p>'''[52]''' <section begin="dagger 52"/><em>I take your dagger as I wish,<br/>And now if I choose, I can bind you in the lower lock.</em></p>
 
 
<p>You will lose your dagger by the way I hold you. And after taking your dagger I can bind you. and make you suffer in the lower lock, which is one of the key binds, and which I will use on you. And whoever is put into this lock cannot escape, because of the great pain and suffering they will be forced to endure.</p><section end="dagger 52"/>
 
 
|  
 
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|  
 
|  
<br/><br/>
+
| {{section|Page:Pisani-Dossi MS 02a.jpg|2a.10|lbl=-}}
{{section|Page:MS Ludwig XV 13 14r.jpg|14r-b}}
+
|  
| {{section|Page:Pisani-Dossi MS 09a.jpg|9a-b}}
 
| {{section|Page:MS Latin 11269 31r.jpg|31r-c}}
 
  
 
|-  
 
|-  
 
|  
 
|  
| [[File:Pisani-Dossi MS 8r-c.jpg|300px|center]]
+
| <p>For this reason, the aforementioned gloss is made with all our knowledge and set into a book filled with painted figures, over which march this gloss and rubrics, number by number. And the aforementioned painted figures will be devised with such signs as this: the master that commences the plays bears for an insignia a crown of gold upon his head, and his students who will follow with his plays bear a band of gold under the knee, and the master that will be the counter to the other masters will have both a crown of gold on his head and a device of gold under his knee. And over every play will be its gloss, which aforementioned gloss, and likewise its book set with painted figures, is made by the petition of the Illustrious and Excellent Sir Niccolò, Lord Marquis of the city of Ferrara, and of the city of Modena, and of Parma, and of other cities.</p>
| <p>'''[53]''' <section begin="dagger 53"/><em>I will turn your dagger upwards with my right arm,<br/>And I will quickly bind you in the lower lock.</em><section end="dagger 53"/></p>
+
|
 
|  
 
|  
 
|  
 
|  
 
|  
 
|  
| {{section|Page:Pisani-Dossi MS 09a.jpg|9a-c}}
+
| {{section|Page:Pisani-Dossi MS 02a.jpg|2a.11|lbl=-}}
 
|  
 
|  
  
 
|-  
 
|-  
 
|  
 
|  
| [[File:Pisani-Dossi MS 8r-d.jpg|300px|center]]
+
| <p>In which gloss we will speak with all our knowledge, and first we will speak of the grappling on foot, and then of the other matters of fencing, following that which you will see painted and ordered by the foresaid Fiore.</p>
| <p>'''[54]''' <section begin="dagger 54"/><em>This is called the strong lower lock,<br/>And it is a bind with a great risk of death<br/>But this lock, truth to tell,<br/>If not properly applied can be escaped from.</em></p>
 
  
<p>This is called the lower lock, also known as the “strong key”, and from this bind I can kill you, whether you are armoured or unarmoured, because from here I can strike you in all of your most vulnerable places. And no one can escape from this bind. And if you are put into it, as depicted in the drawing, there you will remain enduring much pain and suffering.</p><section end="dagger 54"/>
+
<p>And we will commence with grappling in the name of God and Sir Saint George, the Good Knight.</p>
 +
|
 +
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 +
| {{section|Page:Pisani-Dossi MS 02a.jpg|2a.12|lbl=-}}
 
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<br/><br/><br/><br/>
 
{{section|Page:MS Ludwig XV 13 14r.jpg|14r-c}}
 
| {{section|Page:Pisani-Dossi MS 09a.jpg|9a-d}}
 
| {{section|Page:MS Latin 11269 31v.jpg|31v-a}}
 
  
 
|-  
 
|-  
| [[File:MS Latin 11269 31v-c.jpg|300px|center|link=http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b8514426f/f66.item]]
+
|  
| [[File:Pisani-Dossi MS 8r-e.jpg|300px|center]]
+
| <p>Grappling wants 7 things—that is, 1) strength, 2) quickness of foot and of arms, 3) advantageous holds, and 4) breaks, and 5) binds, and 6) strikes, and 7) lesions, following that which you will see in the painted figures, and especially in plays that will gain holds, each one with its knowledge and with its malice. Because in plays that are taken in agreement, the holds are made with love and do not give ire, whereas in the above art of grappling that is made to gain holds, sometimes it is from ire and sometimes for life, and these are holds and plays that cannot be practiced with courtesy, and these are also perilous plays to practice.</p>
| <p>'''[55]''' <section begin="dagger 55"/><em>This is how to do the counter to the Master's cover to the reverse strike,<br/>And with this bind I will make you drop to the ground on your knees.</em></p>
 
  
<p>This is the counter to the Third Daga Remedy Master, who covers the reverse attack. I have made this bind against him. Whether he is armoured or unarmoured, this bind is strong and secure. And if I trap a man who is unarmoured in this way, I will ruin his hand and dislocate it. And the pain will be so great I will make him kneel at my feet. And should I wish to strike him, this I can also do.</p>
+
<p>And after those we will treat the advantageous and stronger plays, that are better in armor than without for more defense of man and more security, and we will swiftly do that which he would attempt by the inscribed words and painted figures. And we first begin grappling on foot to gain holds, and also holds that are made in accordance.</p>
 +
|
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|
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|
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| {{section|Page:Pisani-Dossi MS 02a.jpg|2a.13|lbl=-}}
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|
  
<p>''[In the Getty, the Master's left foot is forward.]''</p><section end="dagger 55"/>
+
|-
 +
|
 +
| <p>Then there will be 4 crowned masters, who will be masters of the dagger and of the art that pertains to the dagger.</p>
 +
|
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 +
| {{section|Page:Pisani-Dossi MS 02a.jpg|2a.14|lbl=-}}
 
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<br/><br/><br/>
 
{{section|Page:MS Ludwig XV 13 14r.jpg|14r-d}}
 
| {{section|Page:Pisani-Dossi MS 09a.jpg|9a-e}}
 
| {{section|Page:MS Latin 11269 31v.jpg|31v-c}}
 
  
|}
+
|-
{{hidden end}}
+
|
 +
| <p>Then find 4 with seven swords about them that signify the 7 blows of the sword.</p>
 +
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 +
| {{section|Page:Pisani-Dossi MS 02a.jpg|2a.15|lbl=-}}
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|
  
{{hidden begin
+
|-
| title    = <span style="font-size:120%;">4th Master</span>
+
|
| titlestyle= background:#f2f2f2; border:1px solid #aaaaaa; padding:10px; text-align:center; vertical-align:middle; width:60%;
+
| <p>Then find one master against 3 scholars who make the plays of the sword in one hand (without buckler).</p>
| bodystyle = display:block; width:224em;
+
|
}}
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{{:Fiore de'i Liberi/Dagger/4th master}}
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{{hidden end}}
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| {{section|Page:Pisani-Dossi MS 02a.jpg|2a.16|lbl=-}}
{{hidden begin
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|
| title    = <span style="font-size:120%;">5th Master
+
 
 +
|-
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|
 +
| <p>Then find one with a staff and with a dagger that is the master that makes a counter to the lance.</p>
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| {{section|Page:Pisani-Dossi MS 02a.jpg|2a.17|lbl=-}}
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|-
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 +
| <p>Then find another master with two sticks and with a dagger against one that has a lance.</p>
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| {{section|Page:Pisani-Dossi MS 02a.jpg|2a.18|lbl=-}}
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|-
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|
 +
| <p>Then find the guards of the lance that are 6 masters: the first 3 masters play from the right side, the other three that follow play from the left side.</p>
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| {{section|Page:Pisani-Dossi MS 02a.jpg|2a.19|lbl=-}}
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|-
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 +
| <p>Then find two kings with two swords that await others with javelins,  lances, and swords, and they wait in their own guards of waiting.</p>
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 +
| {{section|Page:Pisani-Dossi MS 02a.jpg|2a.20|lbl=-}}
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 +
|-
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 +
| <p>Then find two for two methods by which can be defeated one with a lance who is inferior.</p>
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 +
| {{section|Page:Pisani-Dossi MS 02a.jpg|2a.21|lbl=-}}
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|-
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|
 +
| <p>Then find a man with seven swords and 4 figures about him, and one can see that which they signify, the aforementioned figures and the aforementioned swords.</p>
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 +
| {{section|Page:Pisani-Dossi MS 02a.jpg|2a.22|lbl=-}}
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|-
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 +
| <p>Then find 6 crowned masters with 6 swords, and one does not carry a sword like the others do, and see the reason one is divided from the other.</p>
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 +
| {{section|Page:Pisani-Dossi MS 02a.jpg|2a.23|lbl=-}}
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 +
|-
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|
 +
| <p>Then find 12 crowned masters, one after the other, which masters stand in the guards of the sword.</p>
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 +
| {{section|Page:Pisani-Dossi MS 02a.jpg|2a.24|lbl=-}}
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|
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 +
|-
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 +
| <p>Then find two masters crossed that commence the wide play with a strike into the throat of the companion.</p>
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 +
| {{section|Page:Pisani-Dossi MS 02a.jpg|2a.25|lbl=-}}
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|-
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 +
| <p>Then find two other crowned masters that have three plays of the wide play.</p>
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 +
| {{section|Page:Pisani-Dossi MS 02a.jpg|2a.26|lbl=-}}
 +
|
 +
 
 +
|-
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|
 +
| <p>Then find another crowned master that has twelve students that make his plays, and the first is the Villain's Strike.</p>
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 +
| {{section|Page:Pisani-Dossi MS 02a.jpg|2a.27|lbl=-}}
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 +
|-
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|
 +
| <p>Then, after these 12 plays, find a counter that thrusts the point into the face of the companion.</p>
 +
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 +
| {{section|Page:Pisani-Dossi MS 02a.jpg|2a.28|lbl=-}}
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|
 +
| <p>Then find 2 crowned masters that are crossed at the mid-sword, which masters can make all the plays that follow after unto each other until another king is not found—and that which one master does the other one can do, the one like the other, according to which one has more speed than the other—except that after these plays of these two masters crossed, find 5 contrary masters, and they say to the two crossed masters that they make counters to their plays closely, and most of all against any taking of the sword, and they are worth more in armor than without, though they are good in the one art and in the other (that is in armor and without).</p>
 +
|
 +
|
 +
|
 +
|
 +
| {{section|Page:Pisani-Dossi MS 02a.jpg|2a.29|lbl=-}}
 +
|
 +
 
 +
|-
 +
|
 +
| <p>Then find a crowned master that is crossed with another from the backhand side, and after are two of his plays.</p>
 +
|
 +
|
 +
|
 +
|
 +
| {{section|Page:Pisani-Dossi MS 02a.jpg|2a.30|lbl=-}}
 +
|
 +
 
 +
|-
 +
|
 +
| <p>Then find a crowned master that makes a counter.</p>
 +
|
 +
|
 +
|
 +
|
 +
| {{section|Page:Pisani-Dossi MS 02a.jpg|2a.31|lbl=-}}
 +
|
 +
 
 +
|-
 +
|
 +
| <p>Then find a master that has one under his arm to throw him to the ground, sword and all.</p>
 +
|
 +
|
 +
|
 +
|
 +
| {{section|Page:Pisani-Dossi MS 02a.jpg|2a.32|lbl=-}}
 +
|
 +
 
 +
|-
 +
|
 +
| <p>Then find four scholars that make four takings of the sword, and there finishes the play of the sword in two hands.</p>
 +
|
 +
|
 +
|
 +
|
 +
| {{section|Page:Pisani-Dossi MS 02a.jpg|2a.33|lbl=-}}
 +
|
 +
 
 +
|-
 +
|
 +
| <p>Then find 6 crowned and armored masters with swords in hand, which masters stand in their guards, one against the other, to come to the holds in the plays that follow (which plays are 10).</p>
 +
|
 +
|
 +
|
 +
|
 +
| {{section|Page:Pisani-Dossi MS 02a.jpg|2a.34|lbl=-}}
 +
|
 +
 
 +
|-
 +
|
 +
| <p>Then find four masters with 4 axes in guard, and one guard against the other, which masters can make five plays (and other plays that are in the play of the sword, which I will mention).</p>
 +
|
 +
|
 +
|
 +
|
 +
|
 +
{{section|Page:Pisani-Dossi MS 02a.jpg|2a.35|lbl=-|p=1}} {{section|Page:Pisani-Dossi MS 02b.jpg|2b.1|lbl=2b|p=1}}
 +
|
 +
 
 +
|-
 +
|
 +
| <p>Then find thrusts of the lance, and one lance against another on horse (one lance withdrawn with one extended), and other matches also of lance against lance in diverse ways.</p>
 +
|
 +
|
 +
|
 +
|
 +
| {{section|Page:Pisani-Dossi MS 02b.jpg|2b.2|lbl=-}}
 +
|
 +
 
 +
|-
 +
|
 +
| <p>Then find sword at sword, and the striking of the swords the one man against the other, and taking the sword, and throwing the horse in diverse ways, the method and the counter.</p>
 +
|
 +
|
 +
|
 +
|
 +
| {{section|Page:Pisani-Dossi MS 02b.jpg|2b.3|lbl=-}}
 +
|
 +
 
 +
|-
 +
|
 +
| <p>Also see plays of the arms in diverse ways.</p>
 +
|
 +
|
 +
|
 +
|
 +
| {{section|Page:Pisani-Dossi MS 02b.jpg|2b.4|lbl=-}}
 +
|
 +
 
 +
|-
 +
|
 +
| <p>Also see one that wants to thrown another to the ground, horse and all.</p>
 +
|
 +
|
 +
|
 +
|
 +
| {{section|Page:Pisani-Dossi MS 02b.jpg|2b.5|lbl=-}}
 +
|
 +
 
 +
|-
 +
|
 +
| <p>Also see one that wants to take the reins from the hand of the other.</p>
 +
|
 +
|
 +
|
 +
|
 +
| {{section|Page:Pisani-Dossi MS 02b.jpg|2b.6|lbl=-}}
 +
|
 +
 
 +
|-
 +
|
 +
| <p>Also see a crowned master on foot with a spear in hand, and that which he can do with the spear could be done with a lance, with a staff, and also with a sword—that is, this master awaits 3 on horses: the first caries a lance underhand, the second carries it in rest, and the third wants to throw his lance against the master, which master is sufficient to do his plays that follow (that is, two plays).</p>
 +
|
 +
|
 +
|
 +
|
 +
| {{section|Page:Pisani-Dossi MS 02b.jpg|2b.7|lbl=-}}
 +
|
 +
 
 +
|-
 +
|
 +
| <p>Then find a crowned master on horse with a lance in rest that goes against another to make a thrust of the lance, which aforesaid master has a cord that is tied to his lance, and the aforesaid cord enters the saddle of his horse (which cord is quite long—four fathoms or more), and with this lance he wants to strike his companion, or throw the aforesaid lance to the neck of his companion in order to drag him from his horse.</p>
 +
|
 +
|
 +
|
 +
|
 +
| {{section|Page:Pisani-Dossi MS 02b.jpg|2b.8|lbl=-}}
 +
|
 +
 
 +
|-
 +
|
 +
| <p>Then find a crowned master with a dagger in hand that awaits two companions with swords who go against him one by one, and see their plays.</p>
 +
|
 +
|
 +
|
 +
|
 +
| {{section|Page:Pisani-Dossi MS 02b.jpg|2b.9|lbl=-}}
 +
|
 +
 
 +
|-
 +
|
 +
| <p>Then see matches of sword against dagger that are done well, which could easily be understood by the discussion written above them (that is, the gloss).</p>
 +
|
 +
|
 +
|
 +
|
 +
| {{section|Page:Pisani-Dossi MS 02b.jpg|2b.10|lbl=-}}
 +
|
 +
 
 +
|-
 +
|
 +
| <p>Then find a single axe, very cunning and laborious; by means of it, when the first blow is struck in the face, the companion receiving the blow quickly loses his vision (such that he will have great trouble to ever see anything again).</p>
 +
|
 +
|
 +
|
 +
|
 +
| {{section|Page:Pisani-Dossi MS 02b.jpg|2b.11|lbl=-}}
 +
|
 +
 
 +
|-
 +
|
 +
| <p>Also see a crowned master with an axe in hand that has thrown a cord (which has a weight a pound or more heavy, with a hard binding to his axe) around the legs of his companion; yanking on his ax, he will throw his companion to the ground.</p>
 +
|
 +
|
 +
|
 +
|
 +
| {{section|Page:Pisani-Dossi MS 02b.jpg|2b.12|lbl=-}}
 +
|
 +
 
 +
|-
 +
|
 +
| <p>And for all these plays named above will be set their glosses with their drawings, so they can well be easily understood.</p>
 +
|
 +
|
 +
|
 +
|
 +
| {{section|Page:Pisani-Dossi MS 02b.jpg|2b.13|lbl=-}}
 +
|
 +
 
 +
|-
 +
|
 +
| <p>I, the aforementioned Fiore, plead to my Lord Marquis that the book be recommended, because he cannot find another one equal to this, nor would he find a master that knew how to make such a book (nor even knowing much that is in the book), and also because of the long time that I have spent making it. And I am not able to make another so great as this one—for by my faith I have spent half a year making it—such that I do not want more of this trouble, for old age now pursues me.</p>
 +
 
 +
<p>God watch over Lord Marquis Niccolò d'Este, Lord of the city of Ferrara, of the city of Modena, of the city of Parma, and of the city of Reggio.</p>
 +
|
 +
|
 +
|
 +
|
 +
| {{section|Page:Pisani-Dossi MS 02b.jpg|2b.14|lbl=-}}
 +
|
 +
 
 +
|-
 +
| class="noline" |
 +
| class="noline" | <p style="font-style:italic;">Whoever wants to see fencing as one beautiful song<br/>Should study this book that the scholar Fiore has made:<br/>Which book is called the Flower of Battle.<br/>It will recite about every type of fencing—<br/>That is, of lance, ax, sword, and dagger—and of grappling,<br/>On horse, on foot, in armor and without, as it should be done;<br/>And you will see holds, covers, binds, and breaks,<br/>And the plays and measures for combat in the barriers.<br/>And having examined the book, you can easily believe<br/>The importance of the things that you will see in it.<br/>For fifty years I have studied in these arts:<br/>Who learns more in less time will have a good deal.</p>
 +
| class="noline" |
 +
| class="noline" |
 +
| class="noline" |
 +
| class="noline" |
 +
| class="noline" | {{section|Page:Pisani-Dossi MS 02b.jpg|2b.16|lbl=-}}
 +
| class="noline" |
 +
 
 +
|}
 +
{{master subsection end}}
 +
 
 +
{{master subsection begin
 +
| title = Seven Swords
 +
| width = 240em
 +
}}
 +
{| class="master"
 +
|-
 +
! <p>Illustrations</p>
 +
! <p>Illustrations</p>
 +
! <p>''{{rating|B|PD}} by [[Michael Chidester]]''<br/>{{rating|B|Getty}} by [[Colin Hatcher]]</p>
 +
! <p>''{{rating|C|Paris}} by [[Kendra Brown]] and [[Rebecca Garber]]''<br/>{{rating|B|Morgan Translation}} by [[Michael Chidester]]</p>
 +
! <p>[[Tratt‍ato della sch‍erma (MS M.383)|Morgan Version]] (1400s){{edit index|Tratt‍ato della sch‍erma (MS M.383)}}<br/>Transcribed by [[Michael Chidester]]</p>
 +
! <p>[[Fior di Battaglia (MS Ludwig XV 13)|Getty Version]] (1400s){{edit index|Fior di Battaglia (MS Ludwig XV 13)}}<br/>Transcribed by [[Michael Chidester]]</p>
 +
! <p>[[Flos Duellatorum (Pisani Dossi MS)|Pisani Dossi Version]] (1409){{edit index|Flos Duellatorum (Pisani Dossi MS)}}<br/>Transcribed by [[Michael Chidester]]</p>
 +
! <p>[[Florius de Arte Luctandi (MS Latin 11269)|Paris Version]] (1420s){{edit index|Florius de Arte Luctandi (MS Latin 11269)}}<br/>Transcribed by [[Kendra Brown]] and [[Rebecca Garber]]</p>
 +
 
 +
|-
 +
| rowspan="11" | [[File:MS Ludwig XV 13 32r.jpg|400px|center]]
 +
| rowspan="11" | [[File:Pisani-Dossi MS 16r.jpg|400px|center]]
 +
| class="noline" | <p>''We are four animals with these features:<br/>Whoever wants to fence makes comparisons to us;<br/>&nbsp;''</p>
 +
| class="noline" | <p>''Behold! we are four distinguished animals with these [traits]<br/>Who, for instance, strongly reminds [that] he is able in arms;<br/>He wants to be clear/bright and even shining brightly with honesty.''</p>
 +
| class="noline" |
 +
| class="noline" |
 +
| class="noline" | {{section|Page:Pisani-Dossi MS 17a.jpg|17a-c|lbl=17a}}
 +
| class="noline" | {{section|Page:MS Latin 11269 1v.jpg|1v-c|lbl=1v}}
 +
 
 +
|-
 +
| class="noline" | <p>''And whoever will have a good portion of our virtues<br/>Will have honor in weapons, as bespeaks the art.<br/>&nbsp;''</p>
 +
| class="noline" | <p>''He undertakes the lessons for himself, [and] determines which [are for] harming.<br/>Impress the evidence made known upon your spirit. Thenceforth<br/>That [evidence] of arms will have been taught before among friends.''</p>
 +
| class="noline" |
 +
| class="noline" |
 +
| class="noline" | {{section|Page:Pisani-Dossi MS 17a.jpg|17a-d|lbl=-}}
 +
| class="noline" | {{section|Page:MS Latin 11269 1v.jpg|1v-d|lbl=-}}
 +
 
 +
|-
 +
| <p>This Master with these swords signifies the seven blows of the sword. And the four animals signify four virtues, that is prudence, celerity, fortitude, and audacity. And whoever wants to be good in this art should have part in these virtues.</p>
 +
|
 +
|
 +
| {{section|Page:MS Ludwig XV 13 32r.jpg|32r-t|lbl=32r}}
 +
|
 +
|
 +
 
 +
|-
 +
| class="noline" | <p>{{red|b=1|Prudence/Wisdom}}</p>
 +
 
 +
<p>''No creature sees better than me, the Lynx.<br/>And I always set things in order with compass and measure.''</p>
 +
| class="noline" | <p>{{red|b=1|Prudence}}</p>
 +
 
 +
<p>''Everything born under the sky will be discerned with [my] eyes; I, the lynx,<br/>I conquer [by] measurement whatever it pleases [me] to attempt.</p>
 +
| class="noline" |
 +
| class="noline" | {{section|Page:MS Ludwig XV 13 32r.jpg|32r-1|lbl=-}}
 +
| class="noline" | {{section|Page:Pisani-Dossi MS 17a.jpg|17a-tttl|lbl=-}}
 +
 
 +
{{section|Page:Pisani-Dossi MS 17a.jpg|17a-t|lbl=-}}
 +
| class="noline" | {{section|Page:MS Latin 11269 1v.jpg|1v-tttl|lbl=-}}
 +
 
 +
{{section|Page:MS Latin 11269 1v.jpg|1v-t|lbl=-}}
 +
 
 +
|-
 +
| <p>No creature sees better than I the Lynx,<ref>“Lovo cerviero” (Lupo Cerviere) translates literally as “sharp-eyed wolf”. Fiore means the Eurasian Lynx that was said to have not only astonishing eyesight and the ability to see in the dark, but also the ability to see around corners and even see into the future. The choice of the Lynx to represent the ability to “read” the fight and proceed carefully is thus meaningful. The lynx has been used to symbolize the search for knowledge, or the search for the truth. In 1603, for example, the Accademia dei Lincei (Academy of the Lynxes) was founded in Italy, dedicated to providing a sharp and penetrating insight into science and nature. For its emblem, the academy chose the lynx, and its symbol, the lynx passant is remarkably similar to Fiore’s lynx. The great Galileo himself was inducted into the Accademia dei Lincei in 1609, and published papers under the Accademia dei Lincei name. In fact, after joining the Accademia dei Lincei, Gailieo thereafter signed his name ''Galileo Galilei Linceo'' (“Galileo the Lynx”).</ref> and I proceed always with careful calculation.<ref>“A sesto e misura” - Fiore’s Lynx represents the intelligence and scientific application of knowledge. Hence it proceeds literally holding a “sesta” which is a pair of compasses or dividers. Note “sesta” is the pair of dividers, used for drawing circles and arcs and for measuring distance, not a nautical compass showing north south east west. A “misura” is a measure or rule, also used for measuring and drawing. The symbol of freemasonry is the “compass and square” (the square being a type of rule, namely two rules at right angles to each other). “A misura” means “with measure”, i.e. carefully. See, for example, [[wikipedia:Compass-and-straightedge construction|Compass-and-straightedge construction]].</ref></p>
 +
|
 +
|
 +
| {{section|Page:MS Ludwig XV 13 32r.jpg|32r-2|lbl=-}}
 +
|
 +
|
 +
 
 +
|-
 +
| class="noline" | <p>{{red|b=1|Celerity/Speed}}</p>
 +
 
 +
<p>''I, the tiger, am so swift to run and to wheel<br/>That even the bolt from the sky cannot overtake me.''</p>
 +
| class="noline" | <p>{{red|b=1|Quickness}}</p>
 +
 
 +
<p>''I am quick in the hunt and roll the quick ones back in their orbit,<br/>Nor in my running will the lightning overcome the tiger.</p>
 +
| class="noline" |
 +
| class="noline" | {{section|Page:MS Ludwig XV 13 32r.jpg|32r-3|lbl=-}}
 +
| class="noline" | {{section|Page:Pisani-Dossi MS 17a.jpg|17a-attl|lbl=-}}
 +
 
 +
{{section|Page:Pisani-Dossi MS 17a.jpg|17a-a|lbl=-}}
 +
| class="noline" | {{section|Page:MS Latin 11269 1v.jpg|1v-attl|lbl=-}}
 +
 
 +
{{section|Page:MS Latin 11269 1v.jpg|1v-a|lbl=-}}
 +
 
 +
|-
 +
| <p>I am the Tiger,<ref>Fiore’s Tigro is not the black and orange striped tiger (cat family), but is a mythical creature from the medieval Bestiaries that resembles a giant wolfhound (dog family). The tiny mouse-like creature drawn in the Getty does not do justice to this mighty mythical Tiger that was said to be as big as a horse and was attributed incredible speed. There is [http://www.abdn.ac.uk/bestiary/comment/8rtiger.hti a most beautiful painting] of a medieval Tiger in the Aberdeen Bestiary.</ref> and I am so quick to run and turn, that even the thunderbolt from heaven<ref>“la sagitta del cielo” means literally “the arrow from the sky”. Fiore means of course a bolt of lightning.</ref> cannot catch me.<ref>“Avanzare” means to excel or surpass. I understand Fiore to be saying that the Tiger is faster than lightning.</ref></p>
 +
|
 +
|
 +
| {{section|Page:MS Ludwig XV 13 32r.jpg|32r-4|lbl=-}}
 +
|
 +
|
 +
 
 +
|-
 +
| class="noline" | <p>{{red|b=1|Audacity/Daring}}</p>
 +
 
 +
<p>''None carries a bolder heart than me, the lion,<br/>But to everyone I make an invitation to battle.''</p>
 +
| class="noline" | <p>{{red|b=1|Courage}}</p>
 +
 
 +
<p>''I am the quadruped, the strong crown; my brave things,<br/>For instance, are the foundation of every axis. Now conquers the lion of the heart;<br/>[...] Therefore, we call whomsoever to arms.</p>
 +
| class="noline" |
 +
| class="noline" | {{section|Page:MS Ludwig XV 13 32r.jpg|32r-5|lbl=-}}
 +
| class="noline" | {{section|Page:Pisani-Dossi MS 17a.jpg|17a-bttl|lbl=-}}
 +
 
 +
{{section|Page:Pisani-Dossi MS 17a.jpg|17a-b|lbl=-}}
 +
| class="noline" | {{section|Page:MS Latin 11269 1v.jpg|1v-bttl|lbl=-}}
 +
 
 +
{{section|Page:MS Latin 11269 1v.jpg|1v-b|lbl=-}}
 +
 
 +
|-
 +
| <p>No one has a more courageous heart than I, the Lion, for I welcome all to meet me in battle.</p>
 +
|
 +
|
 +
| {{section|Page:MS Ludwig XV 13 32r.jpg|32r-6|lbl=-}}
 +
|
 +
|
 +
 
 +
|-
 +
| class="noline" | <p>{{red|b=1|Fortitude/Strength}}</p>
 +
 
 +
<p>''I am the elephant and I carry a castle as cargo,<br/>And I do not kneel nor lose my footing.''</p>
 +
| class="noline" | <p>{{red|b=1|Strength}}</p>
 +
| class="noline" |
 +
| class="noline" | {{section|Page:MS Ludwig XV 13 32r.jpg|32r-7|lbl=-}}
 +
| class="noline" | {{section|Page:Pisani-Dossi MS 17a.jpg|17a-ettl|lbl=-}}
 +
 
 +
{{section|Page:Pisani-Dossi MS 17a.jpg|17a-e|lbl=-}}
 +
| class="noline" | {{section|Page:MS Latin 11269 1v.jpg|1v-ettl|lbl=-}}
 +
 
 +
{{section|Page:MS Latin 11269 1v.jpg|1v-e|lbl=-}}
 +
 
 +
 
 +
 
 +
|-
 +
| <p>I am the Elephant and I carry a castle in my care, and I neither fall to my knees nor lose my footing.<ref>“Ne perdo vargo” means literally “I do not lose my way”. From the Bestiaries however we understand that what the Elephant never does is fall over. In the Bestiaries we are told the Elephant has no knees and if it once lies down can never get up again. Thus Fiore’s Elephant stands for stability and sure-footedness. The Aberdeen Bestiary reads as follows: “[Of the elephant] ... no larger animal is seen. The Persians and Indians, carried in wooden towers on their backs, fight with javelins as from a wall. ...The elephant has this characteristic: if it falls down, it cannot rise. But it falls when it leans on a tree in order to sleep, for it has no joints in its knees. A hunter cuts part of the way through the tree, so that when the elephant leans against it, elephant and tree will fall together.”</ref></p>
 +
|
 +
|
 +
| {{section|Page:MS Ludwig XV 13 32r.jpg|32r-8|lbl=-}}
 +
|
 +
|
 +
 
 +
|-
 +
| class="noline" |
 +
| class="noline" | [[File:MS Latin 11269 1v.jpg|400px|center]]
 +
| class="noline" | <p>'''Stance of the Queens on the right<br/>Stance of the Queens on the left'''</p>
 +
 
 +
<p>'''Stance of the Windows on the right<br/>Stance of the Windows on the left'''</p>
 +
 
 +
<p>'''Extended Stance'''<br/>'''Shortened Stance'''</p>
 +
 
 +
<p>'''Full iron gate'''<br/>'''Half Iron Gate'''<br/>'''Boar's Tusk'''</p>
 +
| class="noline" |
 +
| class="noline" |
 +
| class="noline" |
 +
| class="noline" | {{section|Page:Pisani-Dossi MS 17a.jpg|17a-f|lbl=-}}
 +
| class="noline" | {{section|Page:MS Latin 11269 1v.jpg|1v-f|lbl=-}}
 +
 
 +
|}
 +
{{master subsection end}}
 +
{{master end}}
 +
 
 +
{{master begin
 +
| title = Grappling
 +
| width = 240em
 +
}}
 +
{| class="master"
 +
|-
 +
! <p>Illustrations</p>
 +
! <p>Illustrations</p>
 +
! <p>''{{rating|B|Novati Translation}} by [[Michael Chidester]]''<br/>{{rating|B|Getty Translation}} by [[Colin Hatcher]]</p>
 +
! <p>''{{rating|C|Paris Translation}} by [[Kendra Brown]] and [[Rebecca Garber]]''<br/>{{rating|B|Morgan Translation}} by [[Michael Chidester]]</p>
 +
! <p>[[Tratt‍ato della sch‍erma (MS M.383)|Morgan Version]] (1400s){{edit index|Tratt‍ato della sch‍erma (MS M.383)}}<br/>Transcribed by [[Michael Chidester]]</p>
 +
! <p>[[Fior di Battaglia (MS Ludwig XV 13)|Getty Version]] (1400s){{edit index|Fior di Battaglia (MS Ludwig XV 13)}}<br/>Transcribed by [[Michael Chidester]]</p>
 +
! <p>[[Flos Duellatorum (Pisani Dossi MS)|Pisani Dossi Version]] (1409){{edit index|Flos Duellatorum (Pisani Dossi MS)}}<br/>Transcribed by [[Michael Chidester]]</p>
 +
! <p>[[Florius de Arte Luctandi (MS Latin 11269)
  
 
== Additional Resources ==
 
== Additional Resources ==
  
* Charrette, Robert N. ''Fiore dei Liberi’s Armizare: The Chivalric Martial Arts System of Il Fior di Battaglia''. Wheaton, IL: [[Freelance Academy Press]], 2011. ISBN 978-0-9825911-7-8
+
{{bibliography}}
* [[Fiore de'i Liberi|dei Liberi, Fiore]]; Leoni, Tommaso. ''Fiore de’ Liberi’s Fior di Battaglia''. 1st ed. [http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/fiore-de-liberis-fior-di-battaglia/5364635 Lulu.com], 2009. 2nd ed. Wheaton, IL: [[Freelance Academy Press]], 2012.
 
* [[Fiore de'i Liberi|dei Liberi, Fiore]]; [[Marco Rubboli|Rubboli, Marco]]; [[Luca Cesari|Cesari, Luca]]. ''Flos Duellatorum. Manuale di Arte del Combattimento del XV secolo''. Rome: [[Il Cerchio Iniziative Editoriali]], 2002. ISBN 88-8474-023-1
 
* Lodà, Francesco. ''Florius. De arte luctandi. Traduzione e cura del testo di Francesco Lodà.'' Rome: Bonanno Editore, 2014. ISBN 978-88-96950-86-9
 
* Malipiero, Massimo. ''Il Fior di battaglia di Fiore dei Liberi da Cividale: Il Codice Ludwing XV 13 del J. Paul Getty Museum''. Udine: Ribis, 2006. ISBN 887-44503-5-4
 
* Mondschein, Ken. ''The Knightly Art of Battle''. Los Angeles: [[J. Paul Getty Museum]], 2011. ISBN 978-160-60607-6-6
 
* [[Francesco Novati|Novati, Francesco]]. ''[http://www.fioredeiliberi.org/manuscripts/novati/ Flos Duellatorum, Il Fior di Battaglia di Maestro Fiore dei Liberi da Premariacco]''. Bergamo: Instituto Italiano d'Arte Grafiche, 1902.
 
* Rapisardi, Giovanni. ''Fiore de’ Liberi Flos Duellatorum - in armis, sine armis equester et pedesta''. Gladitoria Press, 1998. ISBN 978-888-94041-6-4
 
* Richards, Colin. ''Fiore dei Liberi, 1409: Wrestling & Dagger''. [[Arts of Mars Books]], 2007. ISBN 398-11627-0-6
 
* [[Philippo di Vadi|Vadi, Filippo]]. ''Arte Gladiatoria Dimicandi: 15th Century Swordsmanship of Master Filippo Vadi''. Trans. Luca Porzio and Gregory Mele. Union City, CA: [[Chivalry Bookshelf]], 2002. ISBN 1-891448-18-8
 
* [[Philippo di Vadi|Vadi, Filippo]]; [[Marco Rubboli|Rubboli, Marco]]; [[Luca Cesari|Cesari, Luca]]. ''L’arte Cavalleresca del Combattimento''. Rome: [[Il Cerchio Iniziative Editoriali]], 2005. ISBN 88-8474-079-7
 
* [[D. Luigi Zanutto|Zanutto, D. Luigi]]. ''[http://www.historicalfencing.org/PDF/Zanutto-Fiore%20da%20Premariacco.pdf Fiore di Premariacco ed I Ludi e Le Feste Marziali e Civili in Friuli]''. Udine: D. Del Bianco, 1907.
 
  
 
== References ==
 
== References ==
  
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Latest revision as of 19:03, 2 July 2024

Fiore Furlano de’i Liberi

This man appears sporadically throughout both the Getty and Pisani Dossi MSS, and may be a representation of Fiore himself.
Born Cividale del Friuli
Relative(s) Benedetto de’i Liberi (father)
Occupation
Nationality Friulian
Patron
  • Gian Galeazzo Visconti (?)
  • Niccolò Ⅲ d’Este (?)
Influences
Influenced Philippo di Vadi
Genres
Language
Notable work(s) The Flower of Battle
Manuscript(s)
Concordance by Michael Chidester
Translations

Fiore Furlano de’i Liberi de Cividale d’Austria (Fiore delli Liberi, Fiore Furlano, Fiore de Cividale d’Austria; fl. 1381 - 1409) was a late 14th century knight, diplomat, and fencing master. He was born in Cividale del Friuli, a town in the Patriarchal State of Aquileia (in the Friuli region of modern-day Italy), the son of Benedetto and scion of a Liberi house of Premariacco.[1][2][3] The term Liberi, while potentially merely a surname, more probably indicates that his family had Imperial immediacy (Reichsunmittelbarkeit), either as part of the nobili liberi (Edelfrei, "free nobles"), the Germanic unindentured knightly class which formed the lower tier of nobility in the Middle Ages, or possibly of the rising class of Imperial Free Knights.[4][5][6] It has been suggested by various historians that Fiore and Benedetto were descended from Cristallo dei Liberi of Premariacco, who was granted immediacy in 1110 by Holy Roman Emperor Heinrich V,[7][8][9] but this has yet to be proven.[10]

Fiore wrote that he had a natural inclination to the martial arts and began training at a young age, ultimately studying with “countless” masters from both Italic and Germanic lands.[1][2][3] He had ample opportunity to interact with both, traveling widely in the Italian states that formed the border of the Holy Roman Empire. Unfortunately, not all of these encounters were friendly: Fiore wrote of meeting many “false” or unworthy masters in his travels, most of whom lacked even the limited skill he'd expect in a good student.[3] He further mentions that on five separate occasions he was forced to fight duels for his honor against certain of these masters who he described as envious because he refused to teach them his art; the duels were all fought with sharp swords, unarmored except for gambesons and chamois gloves, and he won each without injury.[1][2][11]

Writing very little on his own career as condottiero, Fiore laid out his credentials for his readers in other ways. He stated that foremost among the masters who trained him was one Johane dicto Suueno, who he notes was a disciple of Nicholai de Toblem;[3] unfortunately, both names are given in Latin so there is little we can conclude about them other than that they were probably among the Italians and Germans he alludes to, and that one or both were well known in Fiore's time. He further offered an extensive list of the famous condottieri that he trained, including Piero Paolo del Verde (Peter von Grünen),[12] Niccolo Unricilino (Nikolo von Urslingen),[13] Galeazzo Cattaneo dei Grumelli (Galeazzo Gonzaga da Mantova),[14] Lancillotto Beccaria di Pavia,[15] Giovannino da Baggio di Milano,[16] and Azzone di Castelbarco,[17] and also highlights some of their martial exploits.[1][2]

The only known historical mentions of Fiore appear in connection with the Aquileian War of Succession, which erupted in 1381 as a coalition of secular nobles from Udine and surrounding cities sought to remove the newly appointed patriarch (prince-bishop of Aquileia), Cardinal Philippe Ⅱ d'Alençon. Fiore seems to have supported the secular nobility against the cardinal; he traveled to Udine in 1383 and was granted residency in the city on 3 August.[18] On 30 September, the high council tasked him with inspection and maintenance of city's weapons, including the artillery pieces defending Udine (large crossbows and catapults).[5][19][20] In February of 1384, he was assigned the task of recruiting a mercenary company to augment Udine's forces and leading them back to the city.[21] This task seems to have been accomplished in three months or less, as on 23 May he appeared before the high council again and was sworn in as a sort of magistrate charged with keeping the peace in one of the city's districts. After May 1384, the historical record is silent on Fiore's activities; the war continued until a new Patriarch was appointed in 1389 and a peace settlement was reached, but it's unclear if Fiore remained involved for the duration. Given that he appears in council records four times in 1383-4, it would be quite odd for him to be completely unmentioned over the subsequent five years if he remained,[5][22] and since his absence from records coincides with a proclamation in July of that year demanding that Udine cease hostilities or face harsh repercussions, it seems more likely that he moved on.

Based on his autobiographical account, Fiore traveled a good deal in northern Italy, teaching fencing and training men for duels. He seems to have been in Perugia in 1381 in this capacity, when his student Peter von Grünen likely fought a duel with Peter Kornwald.[23]

In 1395, he can be placed in Padua training the mercenary captain Galeazzo Gonzaga of Mantua for a duel with the French marshal Jean Ⅱ le Maingre (who went by the war name “Boucicaut”). Galeazzo made the challenge when Boucicaut called into question the valor of Italians at the royal court of France, and the duel was ultimately set for Padua on 15 August. It was jointly hosted by Francesco Novello da Carrara, Lord of Padua, and Francesco Gonzaga, Lord of Mantua. The duel was to begin with spears on horseback, but Boucicaut became impatient and dismounted, attacking Galeazzo before he could mount his own horse. Galeazzo landed a solid blow on the Frenchman’s helmet, but was subsequently disarmed. At this point, Boucicaut called for his poleaxe but the lords intervened to end the duel.[24][20][14]

Fiore surfaced again in Pavia in 1399, this time training Giovannino da Baggio for a duel with a German squire named Sirano. It was hosted by Gian Galeazzo Visconti, Duke of Milan, and fought on 24 June. The duel was to consist of three bouts of mounted lance followed by three bouts each of dismounted poleaxe, estoc, and dagger. They ultimately rode two additional passes and on the fifth, Baggio impaled Sirano’s horse through the chest, slaying the horse but losing his lance in the process. They fought the other nine bouts as scheduled, and due to the strength of their armor (and the fact that all of the weapons were blunted), both combatants reportedly emerged from these exchanges unharmed.[16][25]

Fiore was likely involved in at least one other duel that year, that of his final student Azzone di Castelbarco against Giovanni degli Ordelaffi, as the latter is known to have died in 1399.[26] After Castelbarco’s duel, Fiore’s activities are unclear. Based on the allegiances of the nobles that he trained in the 1390s, he seems to have been associated with the ducal court of Milan in the latter part of his career.[20] Some time in the first years of the 1400s, Fiore composed a fencing treatise in Italian and Latin called "The Flower of Battle" (rendered variously as Fior di Battaglia, Florius de Arte Luctandi, and Flos Duellatorum). The briefest version of the text is dated to 1409 and indicates that it was a labor of six months and great personal effort;[3] since evidence suggests that at least two longer versions were composed some time before this,[27] we may assume that he devoted a considerable amount of time to writing during this decade.

Beyond this, nothing certain is known of Fiore's activities in the 15th century. Francesco Novati and Luigi Zanutto both assume that some time before 1409 he accepted an appointment as court fencing master to Niccolò Ⅲ d’Este, Marquis of Ferrara, Modena, and Parma; presumably he would have made this change when Milan fell into disarray in 1402, though Zanutto went so far as to speculate that he trained Niccolò for his 1399 passage at arms.[28] However, while the records of the d’Este library indicate the presence of two versions of "the Flower of Battle", it seems more likely that the manuscripts were written as a diplomatic gift to Ferrara from Milan when they made peace in 1404.[25][20] C. A. Blengini di Torricella stated that late in life he made his way to Paris, France, where he could be placed teaching fencing in 1418 and creating a copy of a fencing manual located there in 1420. Though he attributes these facts to Novati, no publication verifying them has yet been located and this anecdote may be entirely spurious.[29]

The time and place of Fiore's death remain unknown.

Despite the extent and complexity of his writings, Fiore de’i Liberi does not seem to have been a very significant master in the evolution of fencing in Central Europe. That field was instead dominated by the traditions of two masters of the subsequent generation: Johannes Liechtenauer in Bavaria and Filippo di Bartolomeo Dardi in Bologna. Even so, there are a few later treatises which bear strong resemblance to his work, including the writings of Philippo di Vadi and Ludwig VI von Eyb. This may be due to the direct influence of Fiore or his writings, or it may instead indicate that the older tradition of Johane and Nicholai survived and spread outside of Fiore's direct line.

Treatise

The d’Este family owned at least three manuscripts by Fiore during the 15th century,[30] and a total of four copies survive to the present. Of these, the MS Ludwig ⅩⅤ 13 (Getty) and the Pisani Dossi MS (Novati) are both dedicated to Niccolò Ⅲ d’Este and state that they were written at his request and according to his design. The MS M.383 (Morgan), on the other hand, lacks a dedication and claims to have been laid out according to his own intelligence, while the MS Latin 11269 (Paris) lost any dedication it might have had along with its prologue. Each of the extant copies of the Flower of Battle follows a unique specific sequence of plays, though the Getty and Novati contain strong similarities to each other in order of presentation, as do the Morgan and Paris.

In addition, Philippo di Vadi’s manuscript from the 1480s, whose second half is essentially a redaction of the Flower of Battle, provides a valuable fifth point of reference when considering Fiore’s teachings. (These is also a 17th century copy of the Morgan’s preface, transcribed by Apostolo Zeno, but it contributes little to our understanding of the text.)

The major sections of the work include: abrazare or grappling; daga, including both unarmed defenses against the dagger and plays of dagger against dagger; spada a un mano, the use of the sword in one hand (also called "the sword without the buckler"); spada a dui mani, the use of the sword in two hands; spada en arme, the use of the sword in armor (primarily techniques from the shortened sword); azza, plays of the poleaxe in armor; lancia, spear and staff plays; and mounted combat (including the spear, the sword, and mounted grappling). Brief bridging sections serve to connect each of these, covering such topics as bastoncello, or plays of a small stick or baton against unarmed and dagger-wielding opponents; plays of sword vs. dagger; plays of staff and dagger and of two clubs and a dagger; and the use of the chiavarina against a man on horseback.

The format of instruction is largely consistent across all copies of the treatise. Each section begins with a group of Masters (or Teachers), figures in golden crowns who each demonstrate a particular guard for use with their weapon. These are followed by a master called Remedio ("Remedy") who demonstrates a defensive technique against some basic attack (usually how to use one of the listed guards to defend), and then by his various Scholars (or Students), figures wearing golden garters on their legs who demonstrate iterations and variations of this remedy. After the scholars there is typically a master called Contrario ("Counter" or "Contrary"), wearing both crown and garter, who demonstrates how to counter the master’s remedy (and those of his scholars), who is likewise sometimes followed by his own scholars in garters. In rare cases, a fourth type of master appears called Contra-Contrario ("Counter-counter"), who likewise wears the crown and garter and demonstrates how to defeat the master’s counter. Some sections feature multiple master remedies or master counters, while some have only one. While the crowns and garters are used across all extant versions of the treatise, the specific implementation of the system varies; all versions include at least a few apparently errors in assignation of crowns and garters, and there are many cases in which an illustration in one manuscript will only feature a scholar’s garter where the corresponding illustration in another also includes a master’s crown (depending on the instance, this may either be intentional or merely an error in the art). Alone of the four versions, the Morgan seeks to further expand the system by coloring the metallic portions of the master or scholar’s weapon silver, while that of the player is left uncolored; this is also imperfectly-executed, but seems to have been intended as a visual indicator of which weapon belongs to which figure.

The concordance below includes Zeno’s transcription of the Morgan preface for reference, and then drops the (thereafter empty) column in favor of a second illustration column for the main body of the treatise. (The Zeno transcript is in the first transcription column even though it’s the youngest source so that the others can remain in the same position throughout.) Generally only the right-side column will contain illustrations—the left-side column will only contain additional content when when the text describes an illustration that spans the width of the page in the manuscripts, or when there are significant discrepancies between the available illustrations (in such cases, they sometimes display two stages of the same technique and will be placed in "chronological" order if possible). The illustrations from the Getty, Morgan, and Paris are taken from high-resolution scans supplied by those institutions, whereas the illustrations of the Pisani Dossi are taken from Novati’s 1902 facsimile (scanned by Wiktenauer). There are likewise two translation columns, with the the two manuscripts dedicated to Niccolò on the left and the two undedicated manuscripts on the right; in both columns, the short text of the PD and Paris will come first, followed by the longer paragraphs of the Getty and Morgan.

Additional Resources

The following is a list of publications containing scans, transcriptions, and translations relevant to this article, as well as published peer-reviewed research.

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Fiore de'i Liberi. Fior di Battaglia [manuscript]. MS M.383. New York City: Morgan Library & Museum, ca. 1400. ff 1r-2r.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Fiore de'i Liberi. Fior di Battaglia [manuscript]. MS Ludwig ⅩⅤ 13 (ACNO 83.MR.183). Los Angeles: J. Paul Getty Museum, ca. 1400. ff 1r-2r.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Fiore de'i Liberi. Flos Duellatorum [manuscript]. Pisani Dossi MS. Italy: Private Collection, 1409. f 1rv.
  4. He is never given such a surname in any contemporary records of his life, and the term only appears when introducing his family in his own treatises.
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 Mondschein, p 11.
  6. Howe, Russ. “Fiore dei Liberi: Origins and Motivations”. Journal of Western Martial Art. Electronic Journals of Martial Arts and Sciences, 2008. Retrieved 2015-11-23.
  7. Giusto Fontanini. Della Eloquenza italiana di monsignor Giusto Fontanini, vol. 3 (in Italian). R. Bernabò, 1736. pp 274-276.
  8. Gian Guiseppe Liruti. Notizie delle vite ed opere scritte da' letterati del Friuli, vol. 4 (in Italian). Alvisopoli, 1830. p 27.
  9. Novati, pp 15-16.
  10. Malipiero, p 80.
  11. 15th century jurist Paride del Pozzo, in discussing Italian dueling customs, dismisses unarmored duels as the ignoble domain of the rash and the hot-headed, contrasted with honorable dueling done in armor with the full range of military weapons. This might provide insight into Fiore's disposition as a young man. See Pozzo book 4, chapter 3, and also Leoni 2012, pp ⅹⅹⅳ-ⅹⅹⅴ.
  12. “PIERO DEL VERDE (Paolo del Verde) Tedesco. Signore di Colle di Val d’Elsa.”. Note biografiche di Capitani di Guerra e di Condottieri di Ventura operanti in Italia nel 1330 - 1550. Retrieved 2015-11-23.
  13. Leoni, p 7.
  14. 14.0 14.1 “GALEAZZO DA MANTOVA (Galeazzo Cattaneo dei Grumelli, Galeazzo Gonzaga) Di Mantova. Secondo alcune fonti, di Grumello nel pavese.”. Note biografiche di Capitani di Guerra e di Condottieri di Ventura operanti in Italia nel 1330 - 1550. Retrieved 2015-11-23.
  15. “LANCILLOTTO BECCARIA (Lanciarotto Beccaria) Di Pavia. Ghibellino. Signore di Serravalle Scrivia, Casei Gerola, Bassignana, Novi Ligure, Voghera, Broni.”. Note biografiche di Capitani di Guerra e di Condottieri di Ventura operanti in Italia nel 1330 - 1550. Retrieved 2015-11-23.
  16. 16.0 16.1 Malipiero, pp 94-96.
  17. Fiore his masters and his students. Hans Talhoffer ~ as seen by Jens P. Kleinau. Retrieved 2015-11-23.
  18. Malipiero, p 84.
  19. Malipiero, p 85.
  20. 20.0 20.1 20.2 20.3 Easton, Matt. “Fiore dei Liberi - Fiore di Battaglia - Flos Duellatorum”. London: Schola Gladiatoria, 2009. Retrieved 2015-11-23.
  21. Malipiero, p 86.
  22. Malipiero, pp 85-88.
  23. This is the only point when both men are known to have been in Perugia at the same time; Verde died soon after this in 1385. See Fiore his masters and his students, Hans Talhoffer ~ as seen by Jens P. Kleinau, in English and “PIERO DEL VERDE (Paolo del Verde) Tedesco. Signore di Colle di Val d’Elsa.” and “PIETRO DELLA CORONA (Pietro Cornuald) Tedesco. Signore di Angri.”, Note biografiche di Capitani di Guerra e di Condottieri di Ventura operanti in Italia nel 1330 - 1550, in Italian. Retrieved 2015-11-23.
  24. Malipiero, pp 55-58.
  25. 25.0 25.1 Mondschein, p 12.
  26. Malipiero, p 97.
  27. Fiore states in the preface to the Pisani Dossi MS that he had studied combat for fifty years, whereas the comparable statement in the MS M.383 and MS Ludwig ⅩⅤ 13 mention the slightly shorter "forty years and more".
  28. Zanutto, pp 211-212.
  29. In 1907, fencing master C. A. Blengini di Torricella mentioned that “In 1904, a historical work by Francesco Novati, Director of the Academy in Milano and Gaffuri, Director of the graphical institute in Bergamo was published… These two prominent scholars uncovered documents, found in different archives, …Rules for Fencing were printed by Fiore dei Liberi in 1420… And how could then dei Liberi have taught fencing lessons in Paris in 1418?” (translated from Norwegian by Roger Norling). See Blengini, di Torricella C. A. Haandbog i Fægtning med Floret, Kaarde, Sabel, Forsvar med Sabel mod Bajonet og Sabelhugning tilhest: Med forklarende Tegninger og en Oversigt over Fægtekunstens Historie og Udvikling. 1907. p 28.[Full citation needed]
  30. There are two records in the 1436 catalog and two records in the 1467 catalog, but only one of the manuscript descriptions is similar between the catalogs. The 1436 catalog lists one unbound Latin manuscript and one Italian manuscript in red leather; the 1467 catalog lists two Latin manuscripts, one of which was only 15 unbound folia (probably the same as the one from 1436) and one of which was 58 folia bound in white leather. From this, we might speculate that the Getty manuscript was present in 1436, the Paris manuscript in 1467, and the third (very short) manuscript is currently unknown to us. If there were an error in the 1467 catalog, then the unknown manuscript could be the Pisani Dossi, which currently consists of 35 unbound folia.
  31. Fiore Furlan means “Fiore the Friulian”, i.e. “Fiore of Friuli”. Friuli is an area in the extreme north-eastern corner of Italy, to the north-east of Venice, with Austria to the north and Slovenia to the east.
  32. Fiore the Friulian, of the free knights of Premariacco is usually referred to as Fiore dei Liberi (one translation would be “Fiore of the Free Knights”). We don’t know for sure whether “Fiore” (“Flower”) was his real name or a pen-name. “Fiore” certainly existed as a real name for a man in medieval Italy—it was a common unisex medieval Christian name derived from the Italian word for flower. Alternately “Flower of the Free Knights” also makes sense, meaning “The best of the free knights.” As to the question of whether “Liberi” is a family name or simply refers to the class of free knights, since the word is spelled in Fiore’s manuscripts, in Getty (“liberi”), Pisani-Dossi (“liberorum”) and Morgan (“liberi”), with a small “l” for “liberi”, I am translating this word not as a family name (“Liberi”) but as “free knights” (“milites liberi”).
  33. I have translated the entire Prologue into the first person “I”, rather than use the third person “Fiore”, so as to make it more friendly and direct to read.
  34. “Armiçare” or “Armizare” means the art of armed fighting or fighting with weapons. Fiore refers to his martial art as both “L’Arte d’Armizare” (Art of Armed Combat) and “La Scientia d’Armizare” (Science of Armed Combat). However, you should note that the words Arte and Scientia do not necessarily have their modern meanings. Arte may mean simply “skill” and the word “Scientia” may mean simply “knowledge”. Thus “the skill and knowledge of armed fighting”.
  35. Fiore is comparing the two kinds of fighting: sport/tournament (“combatter a sbarra”—“in the lists”) and mortal combat (“combatter adoltrança”—“to the death”). To fight “in the lists” was not however without serious risks of injury and/or death. Medieval knights took these tournaments very seriously as matters of honor, and renown was won and lost in such events. Fiore also appears to include duels of honor in his term “in sbara”. The fights he describes below include duels of honor.
  36. “tempere di ferri” means literally “the tempering of iron”. I have translated this liberally to “the construction of weapons” to more clearly reflect what I believe Fiore means here. See also fn. 37 below.
  37. It is important to remember that when Fiore refers to “Germans” and “Italians” he is referring to language/cultures and not referring to nation states. Neither “Germany” nor “Italy” existed at this time.
  38. Here is where Fiore names his martial art: “Arte d’Armizare”—“the Art of Armed Combat”.
  39. “in Sbarra” means literally “at the barriers”. In many medieval sporting events the combatants would fight with swords or spears over a fence (barrier). This prevented the combatants from closing to grapple and thus tested their long range fighting skills. Fiore uses this term to refer to sporting events as opposed to fights to the death. Fiore tells us he was asked to teach for both.
  40. Piero del Verde (Getty), Piero dal Verde (Morgan), (lit. “Peter of the Green”), also named elsewhere as Paolo del Verde, Pietro del Verde and Pietro von Grünen, was a recorded German condottiero (mercenary) captain who died in 1384. His birth date is not known.
  41. Piero della Corona (Getty), Piero dalla Corona (Morgan) (lit “Peter of the Crown”), also named elsewhere as Pietro della Corona, Peter Kornwald, Pietro Cornuald, was another recorded German condottiero (mercenary) captain who died in 1391. His birth date is not known.
  42. Perosa/Perusia is now known as Perugia. It is situated about 100 miles north of Rome. The date of this duel is estimated between 1379 and 1381, when both knights are recorded as present in this region.
  43. Nicolo Voriçilino (Getty), Nicholo Vnriçilino (Morgan), is named elsewhere variously as Niccolo Voricilino, Niccolo Borialino, Niccolo Waizilino, Nikolaus Weiss , and Nicholas von Urslingen. There is no historical record, however, as to who this person was.
  44. Niccolo “Inghileso” (Getty and Morgan) translates as Nicholas “the Englishman”. However, there is no historical record as to who this person was.
  45. 45.0 45.1 The city of Imola is about 120 miles south-west of Venice.
  46. Galeazzo de Capitani da Grimello da Mantova (Getty), Galeaz delli capitani de Grimello chiamado da Montoa (Morgan), also named Galeazzo de Mantova (eng. Mantua), Galeazzo Cattaneo dei Grumelli, and Galeazzo Gonzaga, was an Italian condottiero captain who died in 1406. We do not know his birth. Significantly Galeazzo fought two duels against Buzichardo de Fraza, also known as Boucicault, one in 1395 that was stopped by the supervising Lord where the parties were evenly matched, and one in 1406, where Galeazzo defeated Boucicault. To be able to say that one of his students defeated the mighty Boucicault in single combat would have looked very impressive on Fiore’s resume.
  47. Buçichardo de Fraca (Getty), Briçichardo de Franza (Morgan), named elsewhere as Buzichardo de Fraza, also known as Boucicault, or Jean Ⅱ Le Maingre (1364-1421), was a French military general who was honored by King Charles VI as Marshall of France in 1391, and was a knight of great renown for his military skill, and his strength and athleticism in single combat. Apparently at a dinner at which both Boucicault and Galeazzo were present, Boucicault insulted Italians claiming he could beat any Italian knight in single combat. Galeazzo accepted the challenge, and the two fought with spears on foot in 1395, a duel that was a draw, when it was halted by the supervising lord, Francesco Gonzaga, Lord of Mantova. The enmity was not forgotten however, and the two repeated their duel in 1406, this time on horseback with lances, at which time Boucicault was defeated by Galeazzo.
  48. Padova (Padua) is about 20 miles west of Venice.
  49. A squire was a nobleman who was trained and skilled in the knightly arts, but who had not yet been knighted. Note the fighting abilities of the squire were not necessarily any different from the knight proper.
  50. Lancillotto da Becharia de Pavia (Getty), Lanzilotto de Boecharia da Pavia (Morgan), also called Lancilotto Beccaria was an Italian condottiero captain who died in 1418. We do not know his birthdate.
  51. Notice that although these are “sporting events” they were using real spears.
  52. Baldassarro (Getty), Baldesar (Morgan) refers to the German knight Balthasar von Braunschweig-Grubenhagen (1336-1385)
  53. 53.0 53.1 Ferri moladi is an ambiguous term: molare means "to grind with a stone", but it's unclear whether this means the lance was sharp or blunt since both processes would involve a stone. However, another period account of Sirano's duel specifies that it was with lancee acute or sharp lances, so that's probably the grinding that Fiore meant.
  54. Gioanino de Bavo (Getty), Zohanni de Baio (Morgan), also named Giovannino da Baio likely refers to the French knight Jean de Bayeux, who is recorded as being in the area at this time.
  55. The city of Pavia is 20 miles south of Milan.
  56. The identity of the German squire named Sram (Getty and Morgan), Schraam, or Schramm, is not known.
  57. Açço da Castell Barcho (Getty), Azo da Castelbarcho (Morgan), refers to Azzone Francesco di Castelbarco, an Italian condottiero captain who died in 1410. We do not know his birthdate.
  58. Çuanne di Ordelaffi (Getty), Zohanni di li Ordelaffig (Morgan) refers to Giovanni Ordelaffi, an Italian condottiero captain (1355-1399).
  59. Jacomo di Boson (Getty), Jacomo de Besen (Morgan), or Giacomo da Boson, likely refers to the German nobleman Jakob von Bozen.
  60. These were duels of honor, and were taken very seriously in these times.
  61. Fiore actually says that the swords are “di taglo e di punta” meaning literally “for cutting and thrusting”, or “sharp edged and pointed”.
  62. A “çuparello darmare” or “zuparello d’armare” is an arming jacket, that is, a cloth padded jacket worn underneath armour as a foundation garment.
  63. We don’t know if this means he won all five duels, or simply acquitted himself well. But he says he was not injured.
  64. In addition to “L’Arte d’Armizare” (the art of armed fighting), L’Arte del Combattere (the art of combat) is a second name Fiore gives to his art.
  65. If they never lost and always acquitted themselves honorably, then presumably they always either won or drew.
  66. Letter scratched out, possibly "n".
  67. The word is decretali (Decretals). A Decretal is a Papal Constitution in letter form, i.e., a written decree from a Pope stating the Church’s legal position on a specific legal or moral issue.
  68. Scientia d’Armizare is Fiore’s other term for his Arte d’Armizare. Scientia means science or knowledge. Thus Scientia d’Armizare could translate as “Knowledge of Armed Combat” or “Science of Armed Combat.”
  69. Fiore writes di ferri e di tempere which literally means “of iron and of tempering”, i.e., hardening of steel. However, since Fiore’s manuscript clearly does not show anything about blacksmithing or how weapons are actually made, this literal translation does not serve me. Thus I changed it to “weapons and their applications”.
  70. It is not clear here whether Fiore is saying he actually consulted with Niccolo Ⅲ of Este prior to the creation of the book, that Niccolo indicated how he wants the book laid out, and that Fiore has decided to lay it out exactly as Niccolo has asked for it to be done, or simply that he knows what Niccolo likes.
  71. I translate Abrazare or Abracare as “grappling” rather than “wrestling”, since wrestling suggests ground-fighting, and there is no ground fighting in Fiore’s system.
  72. The word solaço means “pleasure”. Fiore means grappling for sport. Fiore is distinguishing between fighting for fun and fighting to the death.
  73. The expression da ira means “in anger”. Fiore is contrasting this with grappling for fun. Thus I have translated ira as “earnest”.
  74. Both ingano and falsita mean “deceit”. It is not clear why Fiore uses both, but any difference in these two words are lost in translation. I therefore translated ingano as “cunning” so that there were still three words as in the original.
  75. The word crudelita means “cruelty”. I prefer the word “viciousness” here.
  76. The taking of guards would suggest he has some training and thus some skill in grappling.
  77. The words are prese (“holds”, “grips” or grapples”) and ligadure (“locks” or “binds”).
  78. inle femine sottol mento means literally “in the soft part below the chin”. Fiore means the throat/larynx.
  79. The fianchi, the “flanks”, are the unprotected (“soft”) areas of the side of the torso, below the lower ribs but above the hips.
  80. ⅷ chose means literally “eight things”.
  81. Note: attributes numbers 4 and 8 seem to be the same attribute. This is noted especially because in the earlier Pisani Dossi manuscript Fiore tells us there are seven attributes (not eight as here in the Getty). Roture (“breaking”), Romper (“tearing apart”) and Dislogar (“dislocating”) arms and legs appear here to be duplicative.
  82. Frontale means the front of the head, i.e., the forehead. Elsewhere Fiore comments that this guard is often named (by others) as Posta Corona (“The Crown Guard”), the “crown” referring to the top of the head.
  83. Dredo means “Behind” but in this context it translates better as “after”, be cause we can see from the way the manuscript is laid out that the remedies are shown first, and the counters later.
  84. The “Special” Remedy that comes at the very end, that Fiore is referring to is a Counter to the Counter, which, as you will see below, Fiore calls Contra-contrario or the “Counter-counter”.
  85. Written at the end of the line, with a mark indicating the insertion point.
  86. Literally “Masters of the Battle” or “Masters of the Fight”.
  87. Fiore just calls him the “Second Master”, but Fiore means by this that he is the Second Master of Battle.
  88. Fiore here calls them Zugadori (Players) rather than Scolari (Students), but that is confusing, because the way the manuscript is visually structured, the students of the Remedy Master who wear the golden garter are named Scolari (Students), not Zugadori (Players). The Zugadori are drawn without any garter at all. Therefore here I translate zugadori as Students (Scolari), so as to be consistent with what is drawn.
  89. Divisa means literally “device” but also refers to a uniform or insignia that marks a person's rank or position. I have chosen to translate the word divisa as “garter”. In the PD, Fiore refers to the golden ribbon worn around one leg by the Students as a lista doro. A lista is a strip of material, like a ribbon, garter or scarf. Doro means D’oro - “of gold.”
  90. Fiore actually writes “The Remedy Master and his plays, but since the Counter Master also defects the Remedy Master’s students, who show all the plays, I decided to translate it as above.
  91. 91.0 91.1 Should be "et e"?
  92. I’ve rearranged the sentences here to make my translation clearer. Thus the red and blue letters in the original don’t match up at all in my translation.
  93. Fiore actually says libro (“book”), but I’ve changed it to “system”.
  94. The word Rubriche means writing in red ink. I chose to translate this word simply as “text”.
  95. "e di maistri" appears twice in a row in the text, but isn't struck out like other duplications.
  96. Corrected from "a"(?) to "i".
  97. This was translated from an Italian translation of the Latin, and needs to be checked against the original language to be promoted to B-class.
  98. The full statement, as given by Philippo di Vadi, is "It is not meet that the Imperial Majesty be honored in arms alone, but it is necessary also that it be armored in sacred laws". (El non bixogna solo la maestà inperiale essere honorata di arme ma ancora è necesario epsa sia armata de le sacre legge.)
  99. Word disrupted by a lynx.
  100. “Lovo cerviero” (Lupo Cerviere) translates literally as “sharp-eyed wolf”. Fiore means the Eurasian Lynx that was said to have not only astonishing eyesight and the ability to see in the dark, but also the ability to see around corners and even see into the future. The choice of the Lynx to represent the ability to “read” the fight and proceed carefully is thus meaningful. The lynx has been used to symbolize the search for knowledge, or the search for the truth. In 1603, for example, the Accademia dei Lincei (Academy of the Lynxes) was founded in Italy, dedicated to providing a sharp and penetrating insight into science and nature. For its emblem, the academy chose the lynx, and its symbol, the lynx passant is remarkably similar to Fiore’s lynx. The great Galileo himself was inducted into the Accademia dei Lincei in 1609, and published papers under the Accademia dei Lincei name. In fact, after joining the Accademia dei Lincei, Gailieo thereafter signed his name Galileo Galilei Linceo (“Galileo the Lynx”).
  101. “A sesto e misura” - Fiore’s Lynx represents the intelligence and scientific application of knowledge. Hence it proceeds literally holding a “sesta” which is a pair of compasses or dividers. Note “sesta” is the pair of dividers, used for drawing circles and arcs and for measuring distance, not a nautical compass showing north south east west. A “misura” is a measure or rule, also used for measuring and drawing. The symbol of freemasonry is the “compass and square” (the square being a type of rule, namely two rules at right angles to each other). “A misura” means “with measure”, i.e. carefully. See, for example, Compass-and-straightedge construction.
  102. 'subitos' is problematic, meaning plural masculine things that appear or attack unexpectedly. 'subito' is an adverb meaning 'suddenly', which appears several other times in the text. 'subitos' only appears here.
  103. The final letters are obliterated; the likeliest candidates are "am" or "or"
  104. This word does not appear in any dictionary. It must be a misspelling of some word related to lightning such as fulmen or a conjugation of fulminare.
  105. Fiore’s Tigro is not the black and orange striped tiger (cat family), but is a mythical creature from the medieval Bestiaries that resembles a giant wolfhound (dog family). The tiny mouse-like creature drawn in the Getty does not do justice to this mighty mythical Tiger that was said to be as big as a horse and was attributed incredible speed. There is a most beautiful painting of a medieval Tiger in the Aberdeen Bestiary.
  106. “la sagitta del cielo” means literally “the arrow from the sky”. Fiore means of course a bolt of lightning.
  107. “Avanzare” means to excel or surpass. I understand Fiore to be saying that the Tiger is faster than lightning.
  108. This abbreviation can also be read "nec."
  109. This punctuation mark is not used elsewhere in the text, and its meaning is not known. It could be a tie-mark indicating a word written in the margin and labeled with this punctuation should be inserted here.
  110. These words are not visible in standard photography; this reading is based on ultraviolet imaging.
  111. The bottom of the page, including the elephant verse, has been cut off.
  112. “Ne perdo vargo” means literally “I do not lose my way”. From the Bestiaries however we understand that what the Elephant never does is fall over. In the Bestiaries we are told the Elephant has no knees and if it once lies down can never get up again. Thus Fiore’s Elephant stands for stability and sure-footedness. The Aberdeen Bestiary reads as follows: “[Of the elephant] ... no larger animal is seen. The Persians and Indians, carried in wooden towers on their backs, fight with javelins as from a wall. ...The elephant has this characteristic: if it falls down, it cannot rise. But it falls when it leans on a tree in order to sleep, for it has no joints in its knees. A hunter cuts part of the way through the tree, so that when the elephant leans against it, elephant and tree will fall together.”
  113. Added later: "pro".
  114. Added later: "scilicet tu".
  115. It looks like the period maybe was changed to a slash/comma.
  116. Nec sine is an emphatic, not a negation.
  117. Phrase doubled.
  118. Apposui is clearly “I served up,” but with the convention that the captions are spoken by the wearer of the crown or garter, this makes little sense (as the palms are in the face of that person). Further, the Pisani Dossi text reverses the speaker.
  119. Added later: "+ ut".
  120. Added later: "+ posuj".
  121. Added later: "scilicet ego".
  122. Added later: "situ".
  123. Added later: "& mergit".
  124. Added later: "scilicet ego".
  125. Tot: so many, such a number.
  126. Added later: "tu scilicet".
  127. The accusatives [direct objects] are unusual in both of these lines
  128. There are no personal pronouns indicating whose eyes are getting injured in this couplet. Only the second person verb in the first line indicates whose eyes are getting damaged.
  129. "senza" appears twice, but neither is struck out.
  130. "de" appears twice, but neither is struck out.
  131. cautus (from cavere) is a common term in Roman jurist texts, where it means security in the sense of assurance or collateral
  132. Maybe "laevo".
  133. Possibly a scribal error—the first sentence seems to be missing a “me” and the second has one it doesn’t need.
  134. The illustration clearly shows a thrust to the arm, not the shoulder.
  135. Could be “praesto”, Latin adv. “ready, available” or Italian “presto”.
  136. Added later: "scilicet occidam"
  137. The character (a p with a stroke through the descender) would indicate that it should be read as per, but since romperer isn't a word and the stroke is much shorter than usual, I think it was an error and the scribe stopped writing it as soon as he realized. I have thus transcribed it as a normal p.
  138. Alternative with accusatives in opposite order: “I would seize the arm(s) in front suddenly / <I> the strong one would bring the dagger around in a violent whirling motion close by the elbow.”
  139. Added later: "scilicet ego".
  140. Interestingly, this page appears to be dirty and damaged; the recto looks like it’s warped from water damage. The next several pages also show warping; the art quality has also declined substantially.
  141. Or "backhand cover"
  142. Or "of the backhand cover"
  143. Or "reverse cover"
  144. Added later: "scilicet ego".
  145. This page has lots of dirt smudges, drips, and stains; some—to the left of the combatants in the upper register, and just below the verse in the lower—look like they might be handwritten smudges, but without clear meaning.
  146. Denodare appears to be a technical term for breaking or dislocating limbs; appears only in Ducange.
  147. Added later: "scilicet revolutum".
  148. Or "Master's reverse cover"
  149. Or "with the reverse cover"
  150. Added later: "ego s."
  151. Demittere mentem is recorded (by Bantam dictionary) as an idiom meaning “to lose heart”. Possibly mente sedebit is referencing this, in a pun (e.g., demittere in the sense of depose, and sedeo in the sense of hold court).
  152. There is an unreadable marking here.
  153. Added later: "ego scilicet".
  154. Added later: "scilicet ego".
  155. This looks like it may have originally said “veter” but was corrected to “vetes” (e.g. from first person present passive to second active present).
  156. See Capelli 285; this can be read as either prope (near) or proprie (specifically).
  157. Literally “the two palms”.
  158. Should be "defendam".
  159. Note: pectora is plural, perhaps meant to indicate both halves of the chest.
  160. refers to elbow 'cubitum' or fist 'pugnum'
  161. Or “I put to the test where I would at once bend you back acutely.”
  162. Added later: "vel probabo(?)".
  163. Or “I will not be deceived while breaking the left shoulder.”
  164. Or possibly “weighed”.
  165. Added later: "~ ut".
  166. Written as segnodo, but with a mark that seems to indicate the letters should be switched.
  167. "lo" appears twice, but neither is struck out.
  168. N.B. “I will enter” begins the fourth line in the Latin. It was moved to fit English sentence structure.
  169. Variant of "namque".
  170. This is read as a corrected error, in which the scribe began to write aufa, crossed out the 'a', continued the 're' and used the 'er' abbreviation above the incorrect letter.
  171. There's a marginal note that's hard to interpret: "n p o" or perhaps "R P O".
  172. "vidi" appears twice, but neither is struck out.
  173. Meaning “if you know how to use a dagger to fight against a sword”.
  174. The word Fiore uses is “rebatter” which means “to beat back”. This suggests a hard block, not a gentle parry.
  175. Fiore just writes “with a turn” (“in un voltare”), but I have added language to make it clearer that he is talking about the move with his dagger as well as the footwork.
  176. Here Fiore literally says “you need the close game”. Note that “zogo stretto” can mean both “Narrow Play”, or the “Narrow Game”, or simply “close range”. Here I believe the translation “close with your opponent” works best.
  177. “Zugadore” means “player”. Here I’ve used “attacker” to make the translation more understandable.
  178. Fiore is pointing out that this play is made early, after the opponent has made cover with his dagger but before the opponent has had time to launch a Remedy. Since the Remedy was never launched, no Counter is needed. Note Fiore calls the man with the dagger “the Master who waits in guard with his dagger”. I have shortened this to “dagger Master”.
  179. See Getty 20v-c and 20v-d.
  180. See Getty 10v-c.
  181. I can see no relevance to Fiore’s comment here that the middle bind is made “a hands-breadth from the face”. The middle bind technique in the dagger section is NOT made close to either your own face or your opponent’s face. It remains a mystery, other than to point out that the entire text of the Getty is written in loose rhyme. Here Fiore chooses the word “spana” to rhyme with the earlier word “mezana”. That appears to me to be the sole reason for its use here.
  182. Corrected from "u" to "a".
  183. Added later: "scilicet si".
  184. Meaning here is a play where the attacker with the dagger is defeated.
  185. Cavezo means “collar”, that is, the front of the tunic up at the neck. In modern terminology it is a lapel grab.
  186. See Getty 10v-a.
  187. See Getty 10v-c.
  188. The conclusion to this play is not illustrated in Fior di Battaglia, but does appear in Blume des Kampfes; see Cod.5278 202r, MS B.26 32v, and Cod.10799 199r.
  189. Fiore literally says “returning my foot that is in front to the back”. This refers to a passing step backwards with the right foot.
  190. A “grande fatto” is something of great worth, like a mighty deed.
  191. “Tristo” can mean “sad”, but it can also mean “crafty”, “clever”, or “skillful”
  192. “Cativi” means “cowardly wretches”. Here Fiore’s Master is talking directly to the three men who seek his death.
  193. The "s" replaces an earlier letter that was scraped off, possible "S".
  194. Written as "e" and then corrected to "i".
  195. Word contains both an abbreviation for "r" and another letter was overwritten to "r"; it could also be read as "ferirere", but that's not a word.
  196. The second letter appears to have been corrected.
  197. A pun for ridere/riddare?.
  198. “ala traversa”—crosswise. Here this means sideways.
  199. Remember, “passando” might mean “passing” (passing step) or it might mean simply “stepping”.
  200. Tentative reading; badly damaged
  201. Tentative reading; badly damaged
  202. Tentative reading; badly damaged
  203. Badly damaged; also, could be a variant spelling of laeva.
  204. Accusative of duration of time
  205. “Magistro” means both “Master” and “Teacher”. The translation “teacher” works well here.
  206. Lit. “made to the fingernails”, an expression meaning to be a perfect person.
  207. This page shows signs of scraping and rewriting.
  208. this might be vindicaveram instead
  209. Getty 10v-c
  210. Romans used dative to describe body parts
  211. “Butare” actually means to “cast” or “throw”. I decided “wrap” would work better here.
  212. “Zitassi” means “cast” as in “threw”.
  213. “Ardito” means “bold”, “passionate” (“ardent”). But here I went after the meaning as I understand it, which is with intensity, thus “aggressively”.
  214. The expression “stando fermo” translates literally as “remaining firm”. In the context of Fiore’s art I interpret this “volta” when referring to step (footwork) to refer to weight transfers between the two feet with the feet turning slightly on the balls of the feet, but without actually stepping. Used in relation to the crossed swords, I translate “stando fermo” as “maintaining pressure”. In my interpretation this refers to crossed swords in front of the opponent’s sword attack, maintaining strong pressure against his blade, crossing his blade at the “front”, i.e. the incoming sword, and then thrusting to the “back”, i.e. at the opponent’s body. The “volta” or “turn” of the sword involved here is a clockwise rotation of the sword around its long axis, i.e. a “screwing” motion as you turn the sword from crossguard more vertical to crossguard more horizontal. This motion is of course the Germanic tradition “winden” or “winding” of the sword. Thus I translate “volta stabile” as a “turn in place”.
  215. Fiore’s word is actually “cose”—“things”. In this context it is better translated as “movements”, “steps” or “footwork”.
  216. “Tornare” literally means “to return”. Thus it is a “returning” step. Note it does NOT mean “to turn”. In certain instances “tornare” refers simply to a passing step backwards, i.e. the reverse of a passing step forwards. Elsewhere it is used by Fiore to show a second movement that returns along the path the first movement took.
  217. “Accressere” means literally “to increase”. The noun form would be “accresso” or “accressimento”. As I interpret it it refers to a shuffle step in any direction where the lead foot moves out away from the body first, resulting in an increase in distance between the feet. Fiore does not include passing steps forward or backward under this term.
  218. “Discressere” means literally “to decrease”. The noun form would be “discresso” or “discressimento”. As I interpret it this refers to a shuffle step in any direction where the first foot that moves, moves back towards the body, i.e. the distance between the feet is shortened (decreased). A shuffle step forwards thus is made up of two of Fiore’s “cose”: first an “accresso” as the lead foot moves forward, then a “discresso”, as the rear foot moves forwards too.
  219. The word Fiore uses is not “and” (“e”) but is “perche”, which usually translates as “because”. But if we translate the line with “because” then it reads “I am named the guard or post of the Lady, because I am distinct from the other sword grips.” That line then makes no sense at all, and certainly does NOT tell us WHY the high guard over the shoulder is named “Guard of the Lady”. I’ve changed it to make more sense.
  220. Fiore actually says “these other guards” (“queste altra prese”), not “the four sword guards shown above” but I have changed this so that the sentence makes more sense. Fiore is comparing the Guard of the Lady, which is number five out of the six guards shown in this section, with the previous four guards. This section is one of Fiore’s most poorly written passages, very hard to understand and a challenge to translate!
  221. Fiore uses the expression “prese de spada” which means literally “grips of the sword”. He means the guards.
  222. This sentence is confusing. I have therefore made an interpretive translation to make sense of the sentence. Here I believe Fiore means that the Guard of the Lady is different from the prior four guards shown, which are all low guards, in that the Guard of the Lady is a high guard (held above the shoulder).
  223. The sixth guard is indeed also the Guard of the Lady but the sword is held reversed so as to use it like a poleaxe. The character in the drawing here is simply pointing out that while you might think the two guards (fifth and sixth) are the same guard (both hold the weapon high on the right shoulder), they are different in that the sixth is wielding the sword reversed like an axe. The text of the sixth guard points out that notwithstanding this, this guard too is named “Guard of the Lady”.
  224. Word bisected by sword.
  225. For more information about this sword, see Armored Sword 29.
  226. Fiore sometimes spells the word “fendente” for the plural, and sometimes “fendenti”.
  227. “Cum rasone” literally means “with reason”, which makes no sense. I decided to translate this as “with precision”, since “rasone” suggests mental calculation is involved.
  228. Fiore actually says “cum inzegno”—“cleverly”. But there is nothing “clever” about a fendente strike. It is a big downward hit. So I changed this word to “effectively”.
  229. Fiore actually uses the word “sangue segno”—“a sign of blood”, but I think the expression “trail of blood” works better.
  230. Another use of the “returning” concept—here making it clear that the verb is “return” not “turn” by spelling it “retornamo”—“we return”.
  231. “Pulsativa” actually means “good for hitting”. Fiore names only a few of his guards “pulsativa”, namely the ones from which you can strike really hard. Hence my choice of the translation “powerful”.
  232. The word is “tutta” Iron Gate. While this is sometimes translated as “Whole Iron Gate”, “Full Iron Gate” or “Complete Iron Gate” (“tutta” also meaning “all”), none of these translations make much sense to me. I note however that in the Morgan manuscript (Morgan 6r-b) Fiore uses “tuta” to refer to the base of the sword (at the crossguard). Thus in that case “Tuta” or “Tutta” carries the meaning of “at the base”, from where I get my translation “Iron Gate at the base”, or simply “low Iron Gate”.
  233. Fiore’s words are “longa e curta” (“long and short”). I’ve liberally translated that as “whatever its length.”
  234. “Strette” literally means “narrow”. At times Fiore uses it to refer to swordplay made when the defender covers (crosses swords) in front of the opponent’s blade with the right foot forward instead of the left. Fiore terms this configuration (both parties’ right foot leading at the crossed swords position, with the defender’s sword crossed in front of the attack), the “Narrow Game”, or “Zogho Stretto”. Why this “game” is “narrow” is beyond the scope of these footnotes.
  235. Fiore is referring here to the “scambiar de punta” (“Exchange of Thrusts”) of Getty 26v-a.
  236. Fiore is referring here to the “rompere de punta” (“Breaking of the Thrust”) of Getty 26v-c.
  237. The intent of this word seems clear, but the letter forms look almost like anta.
  238. Added later: "scilicet nobis".
  239. Added later: "+".
  240. I have deliberately translated this “Guard of the Lady” and not “Lady’s Guard” so as to leave open the possibility of a link between Donna and the Madonna. “Donna” means a “Lady”, with perhaps a reference to “Our Lady”, the Madonna.
  241. The last two words “per certo” (“for sure”) serve no purpose other than to rhyme with “discoperto”, so I have omitted them.
  242. “Donna” means noble lady or mistress, and is also the name of the chess piece. I use the latter translation because I believe the name is a reference to the versatility of the guard.
  243. “Di malizie” can mean “malicious” but can also mean “skillful”. I’ve chosen “skillful” as it makes more sense here.
  244. I.e. quick.
  245. Added later: "i.e. velocem". We also considered a volverem reading.
  246. This is an additional instance of “dicor,” which on 19v we identified as a pun (also meaning consecrated) when used to describe the True Cross.
  247. Note that this verse says “janua” rather than “porta” in the previous Iron stance; we’ve rendered “porta” as gate and “janua” as door.
  248. The word Fiore uses is actually “tastando”—“tasting”. I’ve translated this as “probing”.
  249. Frontale means “front” or “forehead” (The “frontale” is the name given to the armor a war horse wears around its head, protecting its forehead all the way down its nose). So the guard could translate as simply the Front Guard. I like the name Forehead Guard because Fiore links it to another part of the head when he says it is also named (by others) the Crown Guard.
  250. “Magistro” can mean “Master”, or simply “Instructor”.
  251. “Making the cross” i.e. crossing the opponent’s incoming sword with yours, is one of the fundamental skills of Fiore’s system.
  252. I.e. I show compassion to no one
  253. Word bisected by sword.
  254. Word bisected by sword.
  255. The text contains an error here; the illustration shows the Lady’s Position, not the Boar’s Tooth.
  256. Versito: full of stratagems, wily, cunning
  257. A revelation: the umlauts placed over the words seem to correspond with two words which form the name of a guard but which are not placed near each other.
  258. Added later: "aftraro"?.
  259. “Dente” means “tooth”, but Fiore is clearly here using the image of the boar’s tusks. The wild boar, when fighting, hooks diagonally with its tusks (elongated lower teeth).
  260. My translation here is fairly liberal. Fiore says literally “because it takes its method of striking from the wild boar.”
  261. potentially remeatio, but written as *tior to rhyme with brevior, minor, and revertor
  262. Or "saepe" (often), which may be more likely than "sepe" (hedge or defensive barrier)
  263. The umlaut theory falls down here: there’s only one. Possibly, the “i” in ipse is meant to have two dots, which would make the pair here “I Myself.”
  264. Corrected from "e" to "i".
  265. More likely laevus than levus
  266. Post is written above this paragraph and then mostly erased.
  267. The last word seems faded
  268. The superscript says “certainly I”; we believe this note represents an incorrect reading of the line, and have not incorporated it into our translation.
  269. Added later: "scilicet ego."
  270. The expression “ala traversa” here just means crossing swords diagonally, but based on what comes after this I prefer my translation.
  271. The word Fiore uses is “languire” to make someone collapse, without either strength or spirit.
  272. “Spada a doy man” means “two handed sword” or “sword in two hands”. I prefer the latter however, because Fiore’s “sword in one hand” (shown elsewhere) is not a single hand or arming sword. It is the Italian “longsword” being wielded in one hand. In both “sword in one hand” and “sword in two hands” the same sword is being used—the two handed sword. So strictly speaking here this section is “the two handed sword being used with two hands”.
  273. In translating this text I have left out the repetition of the expression “what the previous Master told you”, as it is redundant. Generally when I translate Fiore I try to make the text make sense to the modern reader. This may sometimes mean leaving words out, altering an expression, or altering the tense of verbs entirely.
  274. “discorrere” means to run backwards and forwards. This suggests a sawing motion if applied to the sword, i.e. a push forward and a pull back.
  275. Levum previously appeared on 13v; it is likely laevum (“left”, rather than levum, “light” in the weight sense) despite not having the ae ligature used on earlier pages in this text (an e with a narrow loop sticking off the lower left side, pointing down and left). Several of these e-for-ae substitutions have happened; maybe he has stopped using the ae symbol.
  276. Added later: "dixit".
  277. Added later: "con? ut."
  278. “Denanzi” or “denanci” means “in front of” when applied to position, and “previously” or “before” when applied to time.
  279. Fiore rarely uses the word “taglio” when talking of the sword striking as opposed to thrusting. For hitting he usually uses the word “colpo”, a “blow”.
  280. Fiore actually writes “against the back of his leg or under his knee” which makes no sense. The stomp depicted is effective against the inside of the knee joint from the side or just under the kneecap from the front. This is an example where my personal knowledge of the mechanics of this stomp contradicts the literal text, and where the literal text thus makes no sense.
  281. "m'a insegnato che" partially effaced.
  282. “Zogho” translates as “play” or “game” but could also translate as “technique”.
  283. A “Villano” is a peasant, i.e. a person not of noble birth. Fiore uses the term “Villano” to refer to a man lacking in skill. Fiore’s art, in Fiore’s own words, was not taught to commoners. The “Peasant’s Strike” is an over committed and uncontrolled downward strike, a strike that does not stop on the center line but continues to the ground. Because it is uncontrolled it lies outside Fiore’s Arte e Scientia. Thus it is attributed to a Peasant, who is unskilled in sword-fighting.
  284. Another example where the word “passo” does NOT mean “a passing step”. Here it translates best as “a stance” (foot position).
  285. Fiore actually writes that you should move your left foot off the line “inverso la parte dritta”, which translates “towards the right side”. However, you are NOT moving your left foot to your right side but to your left side. The translation “towards the right side” only makes sense if you translate it as “towards your opponent’s right side.”
  286. I understand "against the right side" to mean "toward the left side", but it's an odd expression.
  287. “Scambiar de punta” could translate as either “exchange of points” or “exchange of thrusts”. Both work here, but I favor the translation “exchange of points”.
  288. “Passa a la traversa” means “step crosswise”. I've used "step to the side". You will note that only a few words later Fiore uses the word “traversando” which here means “crossing” as in “crossing swords.”
  289. Fiore actually says “brazzi” (“arms”) low, but he means your hands.
  290. "cum" appears twice, but neither is struck out.
  291. Madentem means dripping with either sweat or tears.
  292. Word bisected by sword.
  293. There is a pun here, since this play could be called both “Exchange of Thrusts” and/or “Exchange of Points” (“punta”).
  294. There is a pun here too, since this play could be called both “Breaking the Thrust” and/or “Breaking the Point” (“punta”).
  295. “Le strette” (“La stretta”) means “close range” here.
  296. Fiore literally writes: “I put with strength my right foot above his sword.” I’ve translated all that simply as “I stomp on it.”
  297. Added later: "pro operarj".
  298. Fiore says strike to the head, but clearly in this play the sword blade will strike into the opponent’s face. Thus it would not be an effective move if the opponent had a steel visor protecting his face.
  299. Other translations translate “Punta Falsa” as “False Thrust”. However, this is not a false thrust. It is a false (pretend) strike. The final killshot is a thrust, as Fiore says “into the throat or chest”, but that thrust is not “false”, i.e. not a feint. Therefore I choose to translate it as “False Point” or “Short Point”.
  300. Or “I extend underneath into the oblique part from the straight part.”
  301. The compound subject in the Latin necessitates the plural comparison, but would be rendered with a singular in English.
  302. I’ve added some language here to make the description understandable.
  303. Word bisected by sword.
  304. Added later: "ego".
  305. Fiore actually writes “per lo mood ch’è depento”, “in the manner shown”, but this move is actually not shown until the next drawing.
  306. A presa is a grappling move, a grip (hold) or a grapple.
  307. Fiore uses “ferero” which translates as “strike” or “wound”, but this is clearly a bind.
  308. While contra is not normally a noun and contrario has been the noun for counter thus far, it seems to work best here to make contra a noun.
  309. This might be a typo for efficit, which is supported by the use of 'ipse', and the fact that the next clause has the speaker working against this action
  310. Again Fiore actually says “fiero in gli toy brazzi”, “I hurt your arms”. But the move is a bind.
  311. “Elsa”, “elso”, “elzo”,”elço” are all variations on the word for “hilt”. But the picture clearly shows the bind is around his sword blade and the grip is made on the opponent’s cross-guard, not his sword handle. Hence I have translated “elzo” as “cross-guard”.
  312. "a farlo subito" appears twice, but neither is struck out.
  313. These umlaut-like dots appear on a few other pages, where they indicate words that should be read as a pair. Here the marked words are both part of a phrase naming a technique, similar to other times the dots appear. Interestingly, on this page it looks like the dots were written by the original scribe (for example, the dots over the a in spataeque have the same faded look as the a). However, appearing on so few pages, these dots don't seem to be part of the overall orthographic style of the manuscript.
  314. Fiore actually writes that you grip him “below the dagger” Fiore means you grip the opponent’s dagger arm around the wrist. This play is taken from the dagger play at Getty 10v-a. I’ve changed the language to make this understandable.
  315. I’ve again added some language here to make this play more understandable.
  316. Added later: "cum". Potentially could be read as "eum" but we believe "cum" is a useful clarification of this sentence.
  317. While lacertos and brachia refer specifically to the upper and lower arms respectively, this is probably an attempt by the translator to avoid repetition, rather than specific parts of the arm that are affected by the actions. We have retained the specificity for linguistic reasons. We used arm instead of shoulder in the following couplet because the technique does not work with the shoulder.
  318. The second play of the First Dagger Remedy Master (the middle bind) is found at Getty 10v-c.
  319. “Ligadura” translates as “bind”, or “lock”, as in binding or locking a joint so that it cannot move. By “That bind belongs to this student” Fiore means that it is this student from this position who could demonstrate it for us.
  320. Meaning he is going to drive you forwards face first into the ground. Note, this counter is also seen in the dagger plays and is taken from Getty 10v-d.
  321. Meaning another counter against the student in Getty 29v-b.
  322. Corrected from "o" to "i".
  323. "se fa ad... sono inguali" partially effaced.
  324. Text says "from below", but appears to be referring to the previous two sword-takings.
  325. Added later: "+".
  326. Fiore says “a man riversa”, which means “to the left”. The turn however is clockwise, which is to your right. That means HIS left.
  327. Word bisected by sword.
  328. Word bisected by sword.
  329. Word bisected by sword.
  330. Word bisected by sword.
  331. The position shown is called True Cross in Fiore’s other manuscripts, whereas Vadi calls it the Leopard’s Tail. Vadi also has a Serene Leopard, but it is Fiore’s Bastard Cross (which is called the True Cross in this manuscript).
  332. This may also be read as immanis but inanis is closer to the Italian
  333. Added later: "pro cum".
  334. Dicor could be a present passive indicative first person conjugation of either dicere (say, talk, name/call, et c) or dicare (dedicate, consecrate, deify, devote)—since the stances are usually named using the verb vocor, perhaps this was intentionally chosen as a pun. Also, in other Fiore texts this is the Bastard Cross.
  335. Interrupted by a sword.
  336. "lo magistro" appears twice, but neither is struck out.
  337. Here the word “subito” (immediately, quickly) means the picture following immediately after this one.
  338. Literally “lost your honor”.
  339. Literally “You’ll have short comfort.” The use of “festa” here is so as to rhyme with “testa” before it.
  340. Fiore actually says “outside the lead foot”, but I’ve translated it as a step behind the lead foot to make the meaning clearer.
  341. Corrected from "de".
  342. Fiore says unable to strike “cum danno”, “with danger”. “Effectively” seems a good choice here.
  343. Lit. “pounded to pulp”.
  344. Lit. “palm”.
  345. Added later: "scilicet manum".
  346. Bipennifera (two-edged axe) likely refers to the poleaxe, even though in that section the manuscript refers to it as “three-pointed” instead.
  347. Added later: "scilicet me".
  348. Likely haec
  349. Added later: "scilicet ensis".
  350. The period after habetur may be a later addition, since it overlaps the final stroke of the r.
  351. There's a light mark above Arte that looks like the abbreviation for haec.
  352. A Medieval Italian pound was an approximate measure equal to 300-350 g, or 0.66 to 0.77 standard pounds. Fiore indicates here that the sword should be 5 to 7 [Italian] pounds, so taking the upper and lower values as bounds, this gives a potential range of 3.3 to 5.4 lbs. Values are derived from this link: Measurement in the Middle Ages.
  353. The “terza” of the sword is the same as the “mezza spada” or middle of the blade.
  354. Fiore literally says “will be marked”.
  355. Fiore literally says “defend yourself”.
  356. Literally “trident”, perhaps referring to the three striking surfaces of the weapon’s head (axe or hammer, hook, and spear point).
  357. Added later: "quisquam".
  358. Corrected from "e" to "i".
  359. Marginal note: "+ ecce".
  360. The text says "a doii mane cum la spada" with symbols next to "a" and "cum" apparently indicating that it should move. Since "cum a doii mane" makes no sense, I've moved the whole phrase "cum la spada".
  361. This may be an error for fascis.
  362. Literally “I am made with a short right arm”.
  363. Literally “We do not have stability.”
  364. Added later: "scilicet subito".
  365. Word partially effaced.
  366. Added later: "+ tibi".
  367. “Presa” means a hold, a grip or a grapple.
  368. We are translating 'captura' as 'the taking' or 'the takings'. Other possible contexts for this word in Latin are from hunting (captura=prey, the fishing catch, the bag of animals brought in) or from economics, in which 'captura' refers to ill-gotten or immorally gained profits.
  369. Fiore actually writes that this grappling move is “better than the others”, but gives us no clue as to what the “others” are.
  370. As in full of holes.
  371. I believe this is not an apology for the poleaxe itself but an apology for showing the dirty trick of the corrosive powder. As such it should really be placed higher up.
  372. "intorno" appears twice, but neither is struck out.
  373. “Titimallo” refers to a plant named spurge, genus Euphorbia. Used in medieval medicine as a laxative, spurge has a poisonous milky white latex-like sap. For more information, see "Pollaxe in Armour" by Matt Easton and "Being wrong can lead to wonderful things" by Guy Windsor.
  374. Tom Leoni notes that this is a flower also used to create a powder commonly used as makeup. It had a swelling effect on the skin.
  375. Telum refers specifically to a distance weapon, which can include any of the following: missile weapon, dart, shaft, spear, javelin, sword, axe, sunbeam, lightning (the last two are the specific province of Jove)
  376. Enjambment bracket
  377. Enjambment bracket
  378. Enjambment bracket
  379. Word partially effaced.
  380. Added later: "…trare".
  381. Possibly “pulsating/throbbing teeth”.
  382. contraria is the most common term marked with a + in this text.
  383. This verse has a bracket shape to its right that encloses the second line and the space below it, similar to an enjambment bracket.
  384. Changed from "o" to "i".
  385. A tiny note (M, perhaps) may have been removed above “agitando”.
  386. Probably meant to be "de si".
  387. Corrected from "e" to "i".
  388. Added later: "+ hoc ego".
  389. Corrected from "e" to "l".
  390. Added later: "nomen properum". Partially obliterated
  391. Added later: "nomen properum".
  392. Added later: "de fresne".
  393. To the right of the first two lines, there appear to be three lines of smudgy pencil (most likely M or F), but nothing specific can be made out.
  394. Added later: "matreque?".
  395. Added later: "four words that might be latin".
  396. There is no enjambment bracket, but grammar and syntax led to enjambment in the translation.
  397. Or “the precaution of the proud master moves me”.
  398. "e" changed to "r".
  399. Possibly "maestum"
  400. Enjambment bracket
  401. Added later: "reparer renouvelir".
  402. Note that in the Morgan, this octave is used to introduce the spear, but a very similar sestet is used in the Pisani Dossi to introduce the mounted fencing. They are included here in the mounted section rather than the spear because the Pisani Dossi has a different introductory octave for the spear.
  403. Fiore means that the text of 41r-a actually applies to the drawing at 41r-b (i.e. the drawing to the right, who is the rider winning the engagement, hence the “Re” [King]). I assume this was an error by the scribe. I've expanded the line so that it is comprehensible.
  404. The abbreviation a for "persona" isn't attested in Capelli, but he does list ꝑam for "personam", which is close enough. Morgan has ꝑsona.
  405. The second line has been over-written to darken worn-away letters. If there were annotations, they have not survived.
  406. This pair of verses has a bracket at the end, which has been posited as indicating enjambment of the lines by Mondschein. As there is clearly a period at the end of the first line, this cannot be the case here.
  407. Depending on the interpretation of the final abbreviation, the last line may be read in different ways; the final verb might be perdet (loses), raedet (pillages), or prodet (thrusts forward). We have chosen the last of these as it is least specific to whether the lance in question is winning or losing the fight, which is unclear from the rest of the verse.
  408. Up to this point, the text is partially effaced.
  409. Corrected from "e" to "o".
  410. Added later: "ego".
  411. Added later: "de la pointe".
  412. Added later: "remoror [!] jaculum".
  413. The translator appears to be using 'stringere-refringere' as a pair, as both words are associated with defending and attacking fortified gates, for rhetorical effect; however, English doesn't have a good oppositional pair that also conveys the meanings of the words.
  414. Added later: "eqqus". Probably meant to be “equus”, but the two q’s are fairly clear.
  415. Corrected from "a" to "e".
  416. This word was obliterated somehow (“et” and “cesura” both show uncorrected damage) but has been written over by a later hand in similarly-colored ink. Further, someone has tried to write something above it, perhaps a French equivalent—the superscript is unreadable, but the second word, above cuspide, appears to end in “te” and could be “pointe”. The superscript above “acute” may have been in the D1 or F hand, but not enough is clear. There may have been a superscript above mucronem that was erased, although the remaining strokes look like they may have suffered the same damage as the rest of the page. None of the superscripts are clear enough to certainly identify the hands.
  417. A bracket, similar to the enjambment bracket, hangs off the last line.
  418. "ue" is mostly effaced.
  419. Enjambment bracket
  420. Supposing cuspide means sword and not point, ense could mean something other than sword, such as “sword technique” or “sword position”.
  421. We believe this is "vulnerare" but the condition of the page has elided an abbreviation mark.
  422. There is an erasure above “cervice”, but we were not able to discern any letters.
  423. Enjambment bracket
  424. Rebecca notes: small words like et or hoc may be left out in order to shape it into something like meter.
  425. Enjambment bracket
  426. I’ve expanded this sentence so that it makes more sense.
  427. This paragraph is written with a wedge-shaped gap in the text. This might be a coincidence, or it might indicate that the manuscript being copied had the text flowing around the sword of the player (as is done on the next page), and the scribe assumed that would be the case here as well.
  428. This paragraph is partially effaced and hard to read.
  429. Fiore actually writes “Then I pass from my quick cover” but the words make no sense, since he is not in a cover but has just hit his opponent in the face with a pommel strike. I’ve altered it to give it more sense.
  430. Added later: "te juc g???et".
  431. Added later: "de la poignee".
  432. There is no enjambment bracket, but the punctuation and text indicate it.
  433. Note the switch from “he” to “you”. This is something Fiore does quite a lot.
  434. Abrazare comes from “A brazi”—“with the arms”.
  435. Added later: “??eeu vit”. Could this be “heeume”, misspelling of “heaume”, old french for “helmet”? There are certainly letters beginning above the g in “galea” and reaching to above the e in “prensum”, but we can’t make out enough to guess further. If the latter word is meant to be “heaume”, this must be hand F.
  436. Enjambment bracket
  437. Literally "ē", which would be read as "en", but in context it seems to make more sense as è, a conjugation of essere.
  438. There is a marginal notation to the right of the verse beginning with +. The marginal note seems likely to be hand F, but the + may be from one of the Latin hands. My best guess: ??a??e tram ? perm
  439. Enjambment bracket
  440. We have rendered per terram as “to the ground” rather than “through the ground”.
  441. Added later: "pro tui".
  442. Added later: "scilicet".
  443. or 'Si pargere', but Rebecca says there is a scribal practice for separating the first letter of a line in this manner.
  444. Enjambment bracket
  445. The armor covering the hindquarters of a horse.
  446. I’ve removed the redundant repetition.
  447. Petto means chest but no part of a horse is named the “chest”, so I changed this to “shoulders” which refers to the area of the horse Fiore is talking about that would ram the opponent’s horse.
  448. The “groppa” means the crupper, which refers to the horse’s hind quarters.
  449. Corrected from "i"; probably intended to be a "u", but looks like an "a".
  450. Added later: "eqquus".
  451. Added later: "te mordé de\per bride".
  452. According to Cappelli, p. 257
  453. Probably laedere
  454. Possible scribal flourish
  455. Overwritten and difficult to decipher.
  456. Written over a previously-effaced word that can't be deciphered.
  457. This word was the source of considerable trouble. We initially assumed, as others have, that it denoted that Fiore was deceased when the manuscript was prepared (quondam Florius, “the late Fiore”). However, further research on the word (which seemed merited since it could indicate a significant biographical fact) indicated that such a reading was simply not possible for most examples of the word in Medieval literature, e.g. “ubi quondam Deus” is probably not seeking to describe a deceased God. In fact, “quondam” is generally an adverb rather than a quasi-adjective, and some dictionaries, such as Lewis & Short, specify that it only has the meaning of “the late” if the person it is applied to is deceased. Rather than becoming trapped in a loop of circular reasoning (assuming Fiore is deceased and translating quondam that way, and then concluding that Fiore is deceased due to the translation of quondam), we interpreted the word in its more normal adverbial sense and applied it to “edidit”. For more definitions of quondam, see the entries in Logeion: http://logeion.uchicago.edu/index.html#quondam